Voicebox from the University of Central Florida delivers an engaging, though confusing, cover of Black Widow.

The opening sets the stage for a pretty amazing jam featuring a lot of sass and a great backing sound from this new co-ed group. My shoulders raised, my head bobbed — I knew I was in for a good time. Sami Sorce is an awesome lead soloist, full of energy and power that in less capable hands, would tend toward the screechy/shouty. And Colleen Nelson and Chrissy Thomas offer a middle section that is just dirty enough to make it hip and sexy. Still in love. 

But then arranger Harrison Acosta morphs the song into a male-led version of Hit ‘Em Up Style and my gut reaction was “Oh no!” Honestly, there is no reason to include this song in the mix. I understand it conceptually, but the abrupt rhythm change unravels the groove that was set by Black Widow. The addition must sound good in person as Thomas Vassiliades is great, but on a recording like this, the inclusion would have worked better with a female soloist and staying more stylistically aligned with Black Widow — if a thematic anecdote is even needed. 

Voicebox has come a long way in seven months. Black Widow is the start of something outstanding.