Jackyee – Broken but Perfected for My Purpose

Jackyee
Broken but Perfected for My Purpose
DaVine Purpose Entertainment (2011)

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross led us through the various stages of death. On Broken but Perfected for My Purpose, Jackyee leads us through the various stages of rebirth.

Not rebirth as in reincarnation, but religious rebirth is the thread binding Jacqueline “Jackyee” Carter’s clever concept album together. Bathed in urban R&B electric beats and neo-soul vocals, Broken but Perfected for My Purpose guides the listener along a dramatic three-part journey of conversion from troubled soul to satisfied mind.  Or, quoting Proverbs 19:21, Jackyee notes that “it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

“The Purpose” (part one) is a short collection of songs about the importance of listening and giving one’s all to the conversion experience, because “ninety-nine and a half won’t do.” “The Process” (part two) is the soul at its lowest ebb, scared and crying out for help (“Rescue Me”), getting mad at God and considering giving up (“Broken”), and responding to church folk who feel she’s not “one of them” (“Damaged Goods”).

The melodies are stylistically similar until the third part, “The Proclamation,” which to my mind is the strongest of the three sections. In fact, the singles garnering airplay right now are “Broken” and “Damaged Goods,” but I found “Never Too Far” and “Strong Yet Weak,” both in part three, to be the superior selections. “Never Too Far” moves with an easy but insistent and infectious vibe, while “Strong Yet Weak” uses a heavy beat and rap interlude to warn the listener to get ready, because you never know the day or the hour when time is up.

Vocally, Jackyee is more comfortable and flexible in the lower register, and her use of Christian rap interludes is particularly effective on the bonus track of “Broken,” featuring Kutter.

Born in Tucson, Arizona and now living in San Antonio, Texas, Jackyee starred in a production of Dreamgirls and advanced to the Hollywood rounds of American Idol in Season Six.

Three of Five Stars

Picks: “Never Too Far,” “Strong Yet Weak.”