After Conversational Lush, I was pretty much hooked on Elle Varner. It would make sense if you heard the powerful voice behind such songs as “Only Wanna Give It To You” and “Refill”. However, some don’t like her sound. That is fine. Everything isn’t for everybody. Still, Perfectly Imperfect is the perfect title for this album because it surely describes her sound.

 

If anything, this woman knows how to express herself. Anybody that has had an “interesting” friendship with the opposite sex can only nod in approval to “Damn Good Friends”. “So Fly”, a mixtape holdover, is a song full of emotive self-esteem boosting and reassurance. “Leaf” lets her get into her undying dedication and love for someone. More than most, she has the voice and wordplay to paint a descriptive scene in one’s mind.

 

Yet, just like the title, this album does have its imperfections. The main thing: the first two songs. While they are “good” for what they do, they aren’t even the most moving or catchy songs. The album version of “Refill” should have been replaced/redone with the mixtape version. “Only Wanna Give It To You” is a cool song. However, putting it out there as a single didn’t reign in the attention she deserved. It seemed as it her singles were the least powerful, and catchy, songs on the album.

 

Remarkably enough, Perfectly Imperfect is an impressive debut. Elle has the singing chops to set her career off. She can make songs powerful and emotional enough that many women can feel her emotions. Her only problem is that her singles didn’t make it happen for her. Even still, this album is musically profound enough to get her some fans. Perfectly Imperfect proves that Elle has what it takes to make inspiring music.