Chante Moore
's sixth solo album followed her divorce from
Kenny Lattimore
and was synchronized with R&B Divas: Los Angeles, a TV One reality program in which the singer starred beside the likes of
Dawn Robinson
and
Kelly Price
. Like her previous album, 2008's
Love the Woman
,
Moore
mixes it up with "grown" and contemporary pop-R&B sounds, but she does it with a fresh and lengthy supporting cast that includes
Chris "Big Dog" Davis
Kwame
the MIDI Mafia
, and
Louis Biancaniello
Sam Watters
. There's a little more range, from the blaring and cluttered dance-pop of "On and On" (featuring a guest spot from
Da Brat
) to a magnetic version of the '50s torch song "Cry Me a River." Unsurprisingly, the latter is a better fit, and the songs closer to it in style -- more refined, deeply felt, and pared down to suit
's still-remarkable voice -- are what make the album attractive. "Jesus, I Want You" hints at the gospel album she has been talking about for years. Even without the whistle notes, it'd be the most impassioned performance on the album. Due to the high number collaborators,
Moore Is More
feels more like a collection of stray pieces than a unified whole, but some of those pieces are as satisfying as anything in the singer's catalog. ~ Andy Kellman