Robin McKelle Issue #37

Modern Antique (Cheap Lullaby)

By Michelle Carlton
Published: September 1st, 2008 | 11:47pm

Any woman gutsy enough to open an album with a cover of Steve Miller’s 1982 hit “Abracadabra” and make it sound more like a jazz standard than an anthem for men in white suits with rolled-up sleeves deserves some credit. On Modern Antique, the follow-up to her debut disc, Robin McKelle does just that and more: McKelle shines by paying tribute to influential songstresses of decades past with a balance of raspy authenticity and smooth, bluesy grace.

A sultry cover of Billie Holiday’s “Lover Man” drips with sex appeal while Nina Simone’s “Go To Hell” echoes with attitude and shows off McKelle’s deep vocal range. The album’s most memorable moments come when McKelle sounds like she truly believes what she’s singing. On “I Want To Be Loved,” she belts out line after line, pleading, “I want the kind of romance that should be strong and equally as tender / I only ask for the chance to know the meaning of the word ‘surrender.’” The sentiment comes from her heart and it shows.

Surprisingly, the only song on the album that sounds insincere is the one McKelle penned herself. “Remember,” the disc’s closing ballad, puts a touch of early-’90s Vanessa Williams into a record full of Sinatra stylings and Holiday ditties. Rather than sitting through this sore thumb, listeners may be better off pretending the album ends at track 10 instead of 11. Despite some shortcomings, Modern Antique promises to turn even the most hardened cynic into a romantic. But be warned: before pressing play, you’ll want to don a pair of satin gloves, dust off your cigarette holder, and get ready to dance until the soles of your shoes are worn clear through.

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