Vibe.com, September 13th, 2004
Teedra, a saucy soprano whose voice is reminiscent of Amerie (if she had personality), is a perfect addition to contemporary R&B.; A former assistant stylist to R. Kelly and the aforementioned No Doubt, this Louisiana native's style yields some good material - a light sound backed by experience, detailed joints that actually bump.
Produced largely with Poli Paul (Black Eyed Peas, Nivea) and Raphael Saadiq, Complex Simplicity is at work when Moses shoots straight from the hip. On the sublimely countrified "You'll Never Find (A Better Woman)" featuring Jadakiss - a layered production with an impressive staccato, she tells her 'cat daddy' (her words not mine) he's a fool for leaving her, and I believe it.
She gets gangsta with it on "You Better Tell Her," her delicious ode to cheating paramours, as she tells her dude "Listen Daddy, I'm too cute to fight, You better get that bitch told tonight." Backed by an infectious beat, the self-penned track sounds eerily like something she's said way too many times before.
Teedra's at her best when she slows things down a bit with Raphael Saadiq on "Take Me," a soulful duet about finding love. This shines as a definite replay track. Their voices interweave almost imperceptibly (good for her, bad for him), creating realistic romantic bliss.
Although Complex Simplicity is a great entry into the R&B; game, it's not faultless. Moses is appealing when revealing her country B-girl bravado, but at the end it's actually all we see, variations in her approach would have been nice.
Like most good dramas listening to Complex Simplicity is like being in a street fight: frenetic, impulsive, yet somehow tremendously exhilarating.
