CD reviews

John Legend Once Again G.O.O.D. Music/ 2006 ♥♥♥♥½	In this day and age, good soul music is hard to come by. After winning last year’s coveted Grammy for Best New Artist (and two others), John Legend has to follow-up the stellar debut Get Lifted with his second album, Once Again. Once Again may not be as successful commercially as Get Lifted, because there are no timeless ballads like “Ordinary People,” but there probably has not been a more complete R&B album in years. Known for backing up Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and other rappers on the hip-hop tip, John Legend has no need for prerequisite rap collaborations on this album. He has carved his own niche and proved that his status, although not quite legendary at this moment as his artist name suggests, will become so as time passes on. His first single, “Save Room,” introduces Legend’s new raspy chops over melodic organs. His second single, “Heaven,” successfully blends gospel music in with radiofriendly pop, a difficult task for any musician. All over the album, Legend displays his buttery smooth voice on songs that are oh-so soulful and uplifting. “Again” is the pinnacle among all 13 creamy ballads, with its hypnotizing bass and mesmerizing strings. This music is not for everybody. This is grown music. The type you listen to after a hard day’s work when you just want to relax and chill. Get familiar. Navin Bahl Volunteer Staff
Sleepy Brown Mr. Brown Virgin Records/ 2006 ♥♥½	Probably best known for his guest appearance on the hit Outkast single “I Love the Way You Move,” Sleepy Brown makes his record debut with Mr. Brown. Sleepy digs his soul music, and Sleepy has very talented friends. These are the two most prominent facts I extracted from my listens to this record. The trouble is, Sleepy’s friends are far more talented and interesting than he is, I’m afraid. Expensive, modern hip-hop icons Pharrell and Outkast put their stamp onto three songs on this album and leave Sleepy looking a bit slight for the remainder, although it should be noted that Pharrell’s contribution is pretty minimal and not too ground-shaking either. Big Boi (of Outkast) is an executive producer of the album, but that’s about as close as this album comes to living up to his high standards. Sleepy’s tunes are decent, well-constructed, and have the best of intentions, but they tend to lack direction or purpose. There are possibly some minor exceptions like “You, Me & my Cadillac” which at least gets the orchestra strikes and groove Sleepy wishes for, but still lacks the soul. That is the key missing element: the soul. Sleepy is obviously highly influenced by the songs of soul giant Marvin Gaye, or even Barry White, but his (usually) falsetto tone does not provide compelling reason to believe his songs. Without that little extra something, his songs come off as repetitive and forgetful. As a fan of classic R&B and soul music, I wanted to get into this album, for it manages to steer clear of the modern pop conventions that often plague said genres. But as I can’t be fully convinced by Sleepy’s delivery, I find it tedious. Kudos to him for his intentions, but it should take more than famous friends to warrant a record deal. William O’Donnell Volunteer Staff
Fat Joe Me, Myself and I Virgin Records/ 2006 ♥♥½	After his massive 2004 hit “Lean Back” with his crew Terror Squad, Fat Joe returned to the music scene with his 2005 release, All or Nothing, which was a commercial disappointment and sparked message-board mayhem between his fans and rival 50 Cent. This 2006 release, entitled Me, Myself and I and featuring the Game, Lil Wayne, and DJ Khaled, plays like an indiegangsta release. There are few samples and most of the songs consist of a bass line, a hook and some revealing revelations from the street. This album is narrowly focused: there are no mixed or social messages. This album is about life according to Fat Joe. The track “Breathe and Stop,” which features the Game, is a definite club track. It’s catchy, with a stellar rhyme and simple, insightful lyrics. “Profit” uses a sleek play on words, as Fat Joe is both a prophet who predicts the future, as well a money-maker. The song, “She’s my Mama” is a contradiction in terms. Fat Joe professes his love for the woman in his life while simultaneously describing her as any other groupie looking for a Sugar Daddy. Unfortunately, I now know how he treats women. Songs such as “Think About It” and “Make it Rain” allow for Joe’s talent to shine but are the typical of the sort of tracks that rappers perform in an attempt to sound profound. Noticeably, this is a rare album where the guest artists do not overpower the featured artist. Overall, this is an uneasy quest by Fat Joe to return to his roots as a thug rapper. I actually lost track of the volume of profanity used, which will wear down the casual fan. Fat Joe has forgotten that a true street artist doesn’t have to constantly remind the listener that he or she is from the street. Me Myself and I: more like “I really have nothing more to say.” Kyle Goomansingh