‘In Due Time’ is long awaited debut album from singer/songwriter/DJ/ educator, DIVINITI – or to give her full moniker… Terri “Diviniti” Smith. Born and raised in Detroit, Diviniti is part of that city’s still vibrant music scene and she’s featured on countless dance anthems originating from the Motor City. She’s no one trick pony though, Ms D, as her CV proves, can turn her hand to soul, R&B, gospel and even rock!
Now as we’ve said, Diviniti’s been on the scene for quite a while but it’s only now that’s she’s managed to record and release her own album and this ‘In Due Time’ (an apt title, if ever there was one!) reflects her wide range of styles as we’ve outlined above.
Produced by Grammy-nominated Josh Milan, ‘In Due Time’ is a concise nine tracker and the better for the brevity – no filler, interludes or remixes – just a well-thought out and clearly presented repertoire.
The set’s immediate grabber is Diviniti’s cover of Odessey’s ‘Inside Out’. This new version is a big , joyous affair – impossible not to smile/head nod /foot tap to this one. All we can say is that it rivals another fab cover of the song – Maysa’s!.
The album’s other big cover, wait for it, is ‘Hey Jude’. Diviniti gives it a gentle reading – a reading that brings out the song’s inherent poignancy … remember what we said about range and variety? This one couldn’t be more different to the blazing ‘Inside Out’. Elsewhere ‘More Love’ (not the Smokey song) is a sweet ballad, ‘Magic’ is a jaunty romp, ‘I’m The Best’ strays into house territory while ‘Note To Self’ is reflective. Yes, plenty of variety and little wonder the album is being picked up by the soul cognoscenti.
If you’re interested, Diviniti has authored two companion texts. ‘Laughter, Love, and Levity’ is a mindfulness activity book filled with lyrics from the album, mandalas and other designs for colouring which foster relaxation and stress relief. ‘In Due Time: A Guided Journal for Reflection and Personal Growth’ is filled with insightful and probing prompts for personal excavation and expansion. While the journal uses the themes in the songs as a guide, it can be used with the album as a soundtrack or as an exclusive tool for growth and healing. Both publications can be purchased via Diviniti’s website and Amazon. Intriguing.
Diviniti’s ‘In Due Time’ is out now via Honeycomb Music. Thanks to Toby Walker of http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/ for sourcing this one.
