Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

So I got the Beyoncé album. To steal from Mya, it's like wo! To my utter shock and awe, Dangerously In Love sounds like one of the albums of the year, not nearly as overproduced as you'd expect. It's got songs which are decent lyrically (and some, like "Signs," are fairly stellar) and musically smokin'. Her singing is a lot more assured than I've heard prior to this; B is growing into her voice like a weed. Basically all the collabos are surprisingly hot - besides "Crazy In Love" and "Signs," the track "Hip Hop Star" with Big Boi is nice as hell, all scronchy guitartasticness. A cover of "The CLoser I Get To You" with Luther Vandross (which is tacked on as a bonus on early pressings - it's also on his Dance with my Father) is gorgeous, a real love TKO, with the pair meshing shockingly well (and neither of them oversinging!). "Me, Myself and I" (not a De La cover) spotlights a tres Isleys guitar lick and '70s-soul feel. "Be With You" is slinkily sexy without being smutty (B's gettin' real good at pulling that off), and "Dangerously In Love 2" just smolders. More thoughts as I crystallize 'em, but suffice it to say if you have any interest in R&B, this album is an absolute must. Throw your preconceptions out the door, 'cause 2-to-1 says they're wrong. Damn!