Music Review • Signed by Michael Jackson’s MJJ Music, Brownstone debuted onto the R&B music scene with vocals that could be heard around the world. With vocals from Nicci Gilbert, Charmayne Maxwell, & Mimi Doby the music industry had no choice but to pay attention. For it to be only 3 of them, they can sound like an entire choir when their voices come together & their voices came perfectly together for their debut album “From the Bottom Up”.
This album included my favorite song “Grapevyne”. The way the intro was very subtle & smooth & then the beat drop & you hear this choir of 3 women SANGIN’ “I heard it through the grapevyne, that you ain’t feelin too fine” will literally blow your edges between the washer & dryer. Nicci Gilbert is a writer for this record & she sang this record like she meant every single word. You can feel all the emotions in her tone & it takes the song to a whole different level. Then Mimi Doby come in with her verse & kills it! Whoever chose this as a single…THANK YOU!
“If You Love Me” was a good single debut because it was the perfect up-tempo to introduce to the world & a great hit for the radio. The bridge is why many can’t touch a cover of this, vocally there aren’t many that could come close to what they did. When you talk about 90’s bridges, Brownstone has to be brought up because if they didn’t give us nothing else they gave us a mean bridge. The video for this record was so 90’s, & I love every part of it. Singing behind a glass with water running down was a classic 90’s aesthetic for a video.
The notable B-side cuts for me are “Party Wit Me” & “Half of You”. “Party Wit Me” is a nice up-tempo cut that showcases those strong vocals which is every song & “Half of You” is just vocals & piano so I don’t even need to go into explanation for that because you already know. If you haven’t listened to this album in a while this is your time to go & give it another spin. It’s some gems on there. Â
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