Yahoo! Music Review

Released on 30/04/07
Label: Def Jam

It's proof of their generous spirits (either that, or the sort of financial nous those of us who have never examined a music publishing deal couldn't ever hope to understand) that gifted commercial songwriters give all their best stuff away to other artists and keep only barrel-scrapings back for their own recording projects. Certainly, this second album from hunky US wunderkind Ne-Yo contains nothing as memorable as Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Unfaithful", both of which he composed.

Whether this is down to the songs themselves being inferior, or just their delivery, isn't easy to fathom. That's the thing with commercial R&B - one person's great cut is another's MOR water-treader, the clincher usually being the weather that day, or the quality of your car stereo. Either way: not a big one for 'progression', Ne-Yo. On last year's well-received debut "In My Own Words", the lad born in Arkansas as Shaffer Chimere Smith proved to the world he had a flawless soul voice and talent for anthemic, soft-focus R&B to rival spiritual big brother Usher (and pervy uncle R Kelly).

A year on and here that voice has become reminiscent of "Off The Wall"-era Michael Jackson, perfectly in synch with the luscious, old-school production style he continues to pursue. Minimal instrumentation, satin fluidity. Don't expect orchestral dramatics, zigzagging time signatures or wacky samples. Of the highlights, lead track "Because Of You" is a flirty mid-tempo number of few distinguishing features but with sufficient pop-funkiness to be popular with minor league DJs trying to fill that tricky 9-11pm slot. Label boss Jay-Z pops in for a cameo on the woozy "Crazy" in which he describes himself as Quincy Jones to Ne-Yo's Jacko. Crisp stabs of harp add a rare quirkiness.

"Addicted" sees him channelling Prince's priapic falsetto ad libs, and there's a convincing chemistry between our boy and Jennifer "American Idol"/"Dreamgirls" Hudson on the melodramatic barney-set-to-music that is "Leaving Tonight". The wistful "Do You" hits the spot, and there's an unexpected lyrical poetry to dirty slowie "Say It" (which, er, comes complete with panting and groaning). The agitated "Ain't Thinking About You" and "Sex With My Ex", meanwhile, threaten to leap from their test tubes with nifty keyboard atmospherics ranging from '80s new wave to "Ghostbusters" to Coldplay-ish piano.

Sadly, elsewhere it's a case of too many beats failing to earn their keep, including far too much of a knackered-sounding clap track, and a general lack of anything to get excited about. Ne-Yo's employers at Def Jam will inevitably brandish sales figures in defiance, but their young stud may find, when it comes to filling wedding reception dancefloors in a decade's time, he will continue to be outshone by his more charismatic, and largely female, clients.

    by Anna Britten