Album Review: Lil Mo, P.S. I Love Me

Lil Mo


P.S. I Love Me (released November 2, 2011)


I never thought Lil Mo got a fair shake. Despite a great voice, memorable cameos, hit after hit and releasing two of my favorite albums of the early ’00s, she somehow still wound up in the dreaded “What Ever Happened to…” abyss.Why? I don’t have a clue, especially since we’re still tormented by inferior artists. But I’ll stop – I don’t want the Rih Rih army to beat me with leftover weave.


Mo’s fourth release, P.S. I Love Me, is a clear statement that she hasn’t gone anywhere. Mo was always known to get the party started, and that hasn’t changed. “This Love” is the offspring of 2003’s “4ever” – Mo’s infatuated with her man and pushes her powerful vocals to the limit to proclaim it. That’s also the case for “Take Me Away” and “Speak Up” – soaring notes dominate her radio-friendly beats. Even auto-tune-ish songs like “On the Floor” that would normally annoy me win me over, thanks to Mo’s hilarious charisma. If any of these tracks land on radio, she’s definitely gain an audience.


Well, somewhat of an audience. Many fans, including the wifey, have always considered Mo’s commanding voice to be a bit, um, overbearing. If you’re in that group, you likely beg for Alleve by Track 5. Personally, I love Mo’s strong pipes, although I think they’re best suited for slow jams. Mo’s ballads are extremely underrated and it’s no surprise that the best track here is “I Love Me.” Mo slows things down with Tweet (who also needs a new album ASAP) for a little self-empowerment.


Besides the so-so track “Love Song,” P.S. I Love Me is a pretty strong collection of material. However, the album does have a fatal flaw – a lack of diversity. Mo sticks too closely to the upbeat formula that made her famous. With few exceptions (like “I Love Me”) nearly every song has the same tempo and sometimes, even arrangements. For example, the hooks on the first four songs feature the same repetitive pattern – “TMS” repeats “tailor-made suit” over and over, “This Love” repeats “this love” over and over, “Take Me Away” repeats “around the world” over and over, and “Speak Up” repeats “speak up” over and over. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all good songs individually, but when placed in sequence things get really repetitive really quickly.


Overall, P.S. I Love Me isn’t as strong as Mo’s underappreciated discography but they are plenty of tracks here to enjoy.


P.S., I still love ya, Mo.


Best tracks: “I Love Me,” “This Love,” “TMS”


3.5 stars out of 5