Fred Everything ‎– Lost Together

Fred Everything's third long player, _Lost Together_, starts off on an okay foot but eventually ends with both feet dancing. "On My Own," despite vocals by Roy Davis Jr., comes off bland. And what's with the African vocal sample at the start of "St. Viateur"? But all is forgiven when Lisa Shaw comes in with the graceful house vibe of "Here I Am." With the right producer, she could read the phone book and it would be sexy. Here, backed with a steady and subtle guitars, she doesn't need to. Wayne Tennant lends his vocals to the relentlessly upbeat "Mercyless" but the deep and sweeping "Understand" makes more of an impact. Another powerhouse female vocalist, N'Dea Davenport, comes on to deliver the goods on "Don't Nobody." The unfortunately named "Shinjuku Ramen" reveals itself to be mightily funky, as is the album capper "Mile End," with its horns and thumping rhythm. A good reminder of why one shouldn't judge an album by its first few tracks.