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John Legend - Get Lifted
Category: Album Reviews
Posted by Patrick | February 17, 2005 | 10:45 AM
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Grade: B+ | Genre:
R&B
Summary: Genuine tracks that don't focus on his vocal
skills, but his ability to get us involved in his lyrics...nothing
complicated, just honest. |
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 R&B has taken a turn from trend setter to forgettable pop jingles short on shelf life. It's evolved and grown over the passed few years to fuse other genres like hip-hop and now even sees young white pop singers (Christina Aguilera) belting out the hits. Well, the growth has hit a plateau clearing the way for a new movement, Neo Soul.
Introducing John Legend.
Like D'Angelo, Maxwell and Jill Scott before him, Legend is positioning himself to bring R&B back to what made it so influential. However, he doesn't need to over do it with extended vocal acrobatics. His restraint is his strength as he's able to use it to carve out his niche in the market.
Working with Producer/Rapper extraordinaire, Kanye West, he's crafted genuine tracks that don't focus on his vocal skills, but his ability to get us involved in his lyrics...nothing complicated, just honest. "I used to love you" and "Number One" don't apologize for anything. It's a "take me for what I am / I'm doing my best" mentality which we all can relate to. Softer tracks like "Stay with You" and "Ordinary People" just add extra appeal and give us a nice break from the overall upbeat feel of the album. Look for appearances from the fore-mentioned West and Snoop D-O Double G.
This is a solid debut from an artist we hope will be around for a while. It's not perfect (but what is?), which means we can expect better things for the future.
Buy John Legend's "Get Lifted" now.
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