Tina Moore

Many of the urban contemporary singers who made their recording debuts in 1995 went out of their way to be as hip-hop as possible, but not Tina Moore. Instead of emulating Mary J. Blige or the members of TLC and En Vogue, Tina Moore favors more of an "Anita Baker meets Whitney Houston" approach on this self-titled debut album. Six of the ten tracks were produced by Michael J. Powell (who is known for his work with Baker), including the melancholy single "Color Me Blue." Definitely a gem, "Color Me Blue" is the best thing on the CD, although her remake of Harry Warren's "At Last" runs a close second. Most of the material, however, is pretty routine, and that includes the funkier tracks as well as more adult contemporary-minded offerings like "All I Can Do" and "Love Don't Feel Like Love" (both of which are exactly the sort of ballads that Houston would record). But while Tina Moore is unremarkable more often than not, the album's best tracks let listeners know that the singer has potential. Unfortunately, Moore didn't have another label to go to when her relationship with Scotti Bros. ended, and six years later, she had yet to provide another full-length album. ~ Alex Henderson|