Album: Love Jones - The Music (Sony; 1997)
Songwriters: Dionne Farris and Van Hunt
R&B Peak Position: #23 (Airplay Only)
"They say I'm hopeless...as a penny with a hole in it"
After walking away from her profile-raising role as an extended member of Arrested Development, New Jersey-born Dionne Farris made a splash as a solo act, demolishing the boundaries of what a Black female could successfully record with her 1995 debut, Wild Seed - Wild Flower. The album's well-executed exercise in soul, rock, pop and funk proved to be a winning combination with critics and listeners craving a more eclectic, artistic slant in their R&B; it also produced a monster single in the form of "I Know", a catchy nugget built on repetitive dialogue, soaring supple vocals and a twangy, Southern rock edge. While "I Know"'s mainstream radio domination made her a brief pop sensation, contrary to popular belief, it wasn't her sole hit. A couple years later Farris would score some major love within more urban-oriented circles when she contributed a fine ballad entitled "Hopeless" to, arguably, one of the best R&B soundtracks of the decade.
Catching your ear with caressing, bronze-hued instrumentation reminiscent of classic Minnie Ripperton balladry or subdued Sly Stone, "Hopeless" landed as a fine achievement in classy, '70's-informed throwback soul. A beautiful study in conflicted emotions while recalling an old love, Farris poetically juxtaposes the sorrow and joy that arises with her memories ("Hello yesterday, I sure need you know/ Goodbye yesterday/ I just can't stay around"). There's a striking bareness in the way her gentle voice rides the waves of the moody arrangement, as if portraying a woman alone in her thoughts. Then the chorus arrives, and it's multi-tracked vocals motion to the collected voices of friends ribbing her situation ("They say I'm hopeless...as a penny with a hole in it/ They say I'm no less...than up to my head in it"). Her response: a shoulder-shrugging string of "bah-bahs". She knows she's a lost cause, but is comfortable in the thought that she has yet to reach a simplified conclusion with her feelings.
Released as a single from the accompanying soundtrack to the African-American cinema cult fave, "Love Jones", "Hopeless" found worthy company in similarly cherished offerings from Maxwell, Lauryn Hill and Groove Theory amongst others. Unfortunately, it's success would also lead to Farris' decision to quit the industry, as the suffocating pressure from her label execs to replicate the song on her next album stole away much of her interest in singing. After spending a decade away from the biz to focus on raising her daughter, Dionne has recently began making noise as a musician again, with plans to release her long-anticipated second album, Signs of Life, within the year.
Interesting Tidbits: The song was co-written by future neo-soul sensation, Van Hunt, while a pre-"Idol" Randy Jackson can be seen in the video.
DL: "Hopeless" (YFH)
1 comments:
Thanks for mentioning this album and comparing Dionne's style to Sly Stone's. Sly certainly sounded subdued on many of his records. There's a Riot Goin' On is a good example. I talk about Sly's influence on music in my book about him. http://www.lulu.com/content/1412956
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