Vivian Green: Vivian : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Vivian Green got her break singing backup for fellow Philadelphia soul sister Jill Scott, then continued in a similar vein on her 2002 debut, A Love Story. Capitalizing on the success of that album's minor hit "Emotional Rollercoaster," Green comes on here like a sound-only version of the smash film Diary of a Mad Black Woman. During "Mad" she sings, "The thought of touching you makes me wanna vomit, baby," and proceeds in the same drama-intensive fashion on "Frustrated," "Damn," "Gotta Go Gotta Leave (Tired)" and "I Like It (but I Don't Need It)." Trading the jazzy retro-soul of her debut for overly familiar mainstream R&B beats, Green now strains her pipes like every other overwrought wanna-be diva, with diminished results. Too many tortured relationship songs suggest Green should consider musical and couples counseling.