Home

by Jon AzpiriThose who know Monifah from her thumping 1998 dance hit "Touch It" will be pleasantly surprised by her lush vocals on Home. However, those who are familiar with Monifah's impressive debut album, Moods...Moments, will be disappointed by Home's poor production and meandering lyrics. Most of the highlights on Home come during its quieter moments. Both "I Can Tell" and "Peaches and Cream," produced by Teddy Riley and Tyrice Jones, offer glimpses of Monifah at her most alluring. "Too Late" is one of the few times in the album that Monifah is given a strong melody to work with and she proves that she can deliver when given the proper material. Unfortunately, the smoother songs are few and far between, separated by pointless skits and soulless dance tracks like "Rescue Me" and the cliché-ridden "NaNa." Monifah is a considerable talent that is lost among the mediocrity that surrounds her. For Monifah, quality production and strong material are a long way from Home.