Pebbles
Pebbles, who released her last album five years ago, is trying to convince old fans that she has been worth the wait. The bubbly pop singer has reinvented herself as an elegant cocktail-lounge diva, but who expects classy from an artist who calls herself Pebbles? (Her real name is Perri McKissack.) Despite her highbrow aspirations, she remains an indistinct performer who fares best when she's being irrepressibly sexy and coy. It worked on "Mercedes Boy," her 1988 No. 2 hit, and she pulls it off again here with "I Can't Help It" and "Soul Replacement." Otherwise, however, Pebbles' get-up-and-go seems to have run off with her spunk; her idea of soulful singing is a slight tremolo or a breathy coo. Straight From My Heart does perk up with a few other pulse-quickeners—the percussive swing of "One More Try" brings a fresh breeze to the album's stuffy soul, and "Happy," with its minor-key organ fills, is one excellent tune—but the best stuff happens in the background: The flamenco-tinted acoustic guitar licks on "Angel" have the reassuring rhythm of rain gently falling, while "Club Laid Back (Intro)" offers cool-cat stage patter between the "club's" emcees and barely any Pebbles at all. (MCA)
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