Tracie Spencer - Tracie (1999)

To be exact, this collection is a grouping of average material sung by an above-average singer. Tracie Spencer's gift has always been her ability to outshine the other aspiring divas of the day with excellent pitch and phrasing. On Tracie, however, we find her wasting her talents. It is also difficult to comprehend the rationalization to include her take of "Nothing Broken But My Heart," the Diane Warren-penned composition previously interpreted by Celine Dion. The first ten tracks are virtually indistinguishable from each other. Nowhere are we presented with anything close to past glories such as "Symptoms of True Love" and "Tender Kisses." The saving grace of the material is found in the last three tracks. Spencer has fun on "It's on Tonight," emotes well on "Love to You," and reveals the true singer she can be on "Unbelievable." This album could have also done with reverse sequencing of the tracks and varying the sound of the others. Despite the lack of notable material on this attempt, Spencer will always remain one of the shining stars of the late-'90s generation of singers.~Tracie Review by Jaime Sunao Ikeda