Tweet - It's Me Again (2005)

Into (It's Me Again)
Spoken introduction with trademark vocals in the background where Tweet harps on about how grateful she is to be able to record a second album. Pointless.

Turn Da Lights Off feat. Missy Elliot
Lead single and a brilliant way to kick off the album. Sings about putting the needle on a record so we have the static sound effects that add to the old school sound on the track, mashed up with Missy's vocals and scratching. Make no mistake, this works.

Iceberg
Think Brandy's 'What About Us?' played at half speed, add a Mexican guitars introduction and you get some idea about what this sounds like. Despite all of this and giving thanks to Jehovah, the song is actually really rather good. The iceberg reference is aimed at an ex-lover that turns so cold and cites that everybody else could see him for what he was but she chose not to listen. I think iceberg, I think Titanic and could she be likening the impact (get it?!) that he had on her to the effects of the iceberg on the the unsinkable ship?

Could It Be feat. Rell
A bouncy track asking 'Could It Be that I am falling in love with you?'. It is therefore a song that is in direct contrast to the previous one and, given what preceded that, so far, we don't know what to expect from the album. Rather than coming across as clumsy and disjointed, the effect actually generates intrigue. So far, so good.

You
What appears to be a ballad soon receives a slow hip hop beat. The record static sounds lend themselves excellently to the overall composition and the trademark Tweet high vocals are all up over this. It's good.

Cab Ride
I don't remember how I felt about this song on first listen but now I absolutley love it! The strings that open the track give way to a flute which provides the melody throughout the choruses. This is turn gives way to finger snaps, a simple drum beat and vocals that are smooth even by Tweet's standards. My favourite part comes in verse two where she asks the Cab Driver to 'turn the radio down a bit'. Sound effects add wait to the lyric witghout distracting from it; adding immediacy to the song. The bridge punches through and disappears as quickly as it comes giving a brief insight into the woman riding in the back of this taxi. I love it.

Things I Don't Mean feat. Missy Elliot
Missy Elliot makes her second appearance on the album and sets of the party track brilliantly. The whole song is an apology for saying things in the heat of the moment that you regret and says that it is a good thing to be able to recognise when you're wrong and to be able to apologise for this. Another great track.

My Man
The bass and drums are the really the only instruments on this track, although horns do punctuate the chorus and guitars feature in the second verse. It's fairly up tempo and warns a love rival about trying to put a move on her man. One of my favourites on the album.

Sports, Sex & Food
I read an online poll that had this track down as the overall favourite of the album and it is definitely an original. It talks about what women have to do to keep their men, namely show an interest in the above. Hand claps make the song sound almost church-like but the song is all drums and piano. Simple but stunningly effective.

Small Change
Another favourite of mine. The opening is just Tweet and what sounds as though it could have been the inspiration for Maxwell's 'Pretty Wings' introduction. Organs add that flavour I like and a beautiful melody coupled with these sell me on this song. The subject matter is the worth of an ex-partner's love, i.e. not a lot!

Two Of Us feat. Tashawna
My least favourite song on the album but not an absolute stinker by any means. Tashawna is Tweet's daughter, who has obviously inherited her mother's vocal talents. A little repetitive.

Where Do We Go From Here?
A spoken introduction from Tweet sets the tone for the track, which is all acoustic guitars. It builds slowly and charms the pants of the listener with beautiful long, drawn out notes that only Tweet can deliver.

Steer
We go back to the record player sound effects, merged with scratching and slow hip hop beats, which gel together perfectly with the piano that joins the whole ensemble. A great song.

I'm Done
This song sounds as though it has a sample from Sparkle's 'Time To Move On' or whatever song (if any) Sparkle sampled. Another simple, beautiful track that does not prepare you for the final track:

We don't Need No Water feat. Missy Elliot
You could be forgiven given the title and pace of the previous track for thinking that the album would finish there but no, out of nowhere, we get the official last track. Latin brass starts of proceedings but soon give way to Missy and a grimy beat. You can guess that Tweet is going to let the ***** burn by the title of the track, which winds you back up and leaves you hanging for more that, for the past five years, has not been forthcoming.

Bonus Track (When I Need A Man)
Just as you are left seething at being left high and dry by Tweet a credited hidden track literally bursts into action: the theme to Kojak. The track is short so your craving is only partially satisfied but, despite being a song from a TV show, it is actually good!

Southern Hummingbird had some outstanding tracks and the same is true of Tweet's sophomore release. There is only one track that occasionally gets skipped and, five years on, I still haven't heard anything like this. Tweet's website does state that the third album, 'Love Tweet' will be out soon and I for one cannot wait. This needs to be in your collection.