Twenty is, most of all, a testament to finding what works for you and then working it. And two decades into their career, Boyz II Men have perfected the art of candlelit, soft-focus slow jams and ballads. Thus, the new tracks on the album's first half flow almost effortlessly into the hits on the second, creating a continuum in which the Boyz position themselves relative to both classic (the solid, Temptations-esque "Benefit of a Fool") and contemporary (the almost club-ready "Flow") incarnations of the silky, smooth-talking croon. Also? "Motownphilly" is still a really good song.
On Where It All Begins, Lalah Hathaway works through a series of urban adult contemporary styles, from the up-tempo groove of "If You Want To" (which is begging for a deep house remix) and neo-soul of "Where It All Begins" to the bedroom bump-and-grind of "This Could Be Love" and pop rock of "Wrong Way." These are songs about falling in and out of love and, in the case of the heartbreaking "Wrong Way," trying to escape a bad situation, and Hathaway has a sympathetic and sensitive voice that makes them sound warm and comforting.
Although the soul of Trombone Shorty's sophomore record is informed by second-line beats, the New Orleans trombonist, trumpeter and bandleader weaves in aggressive elements of funk, hip-hop and rock (in fact Kid Rock parachutes in to bungle some rhymes on "Mrs. Orleans"). Guest spots speak to the rock-oriented range, from guitarists Warren Haynes and Jeff Beck to Lenny Kravitz, the Rebirth Brass Band and a couple of Neville brothers. The aggro edge may get a bit wonky, but you can't fault him for lack of tenacity. "Roses" is a catchy rock tune, while "Big 12" has the best instrumental solos.
Black and White America isn't quite as solid as its predecessor, It Is Time for a Love Revolution, yet the record is far better than Baptism, Circus and 5. This time around he pushes the classic rock aside for new wave-infused funk. More synths and less guitar, basically. On the title track, "Come On Get It" and several other cuts, the usual comparisons can be made: Prince, Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield. However, Lenny tempers his nostalgia with "Boongie Drop," a dubstep-influenced collaboration with Jay-Z, and "Sunflower," a smooth chill-out club jam featuring Drake.
If you only know Etta James from the pop standard "At Last," then Heart & Soul is essential listening. It's remarkable how she's adopted styles over the decades, from a brief stint as "Miss Pitiful" -- the female answer to Otis Redding -- to machine-gun funk (the incredible "You Got It") to modern blues, like on the effective cover of Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying" and the previously unreleased "Ashes By Now." No matter the sound, James made her mark with an expressive voice and forceful presence, and Heart & Soul is like reading a biography on an incredible career.
Goapele's voice is a high contralto that generates exceptional frisson. When she turns it on the synthesizer funk of "Milk & Honey," she generates an overwhelming heat. Her dominant presence turns the songs on Break of Dawn, her first album in six years, into mere subtext, and it's fun to hear her use the urban erotica of "Play" and "Undertow" for a showcase of her vocal talent. It's an area that she sticks to with few exceptions -- she sings of persevering over obstacles on "Break of Dawn," and life as a single mother on "Hush" -- but she does it better than most.
It's only right that Mayer Hawthorne breaks out his Michael McDonald impersonation on How Do You Do: Both aspire to soul music that's authentic and without "blue-eyed" qualifiers, and redefined that category in the process. He hasn't changed since 2009's A Strange Arrangement, but this album is better produced, and songs like "A Long Time" have stronger musical arrangements. His retro-soul persona is still gimmicky, but that's not a bad thing: The '70s doo-wop of "Get to Know You," and Snoop Dogg's off-key vocal on "Can't Stop" are cute and cuddly in all the right ways.
What is Katy B's mission? To be queen of dubstep's pop crossover? To conquer a U.S. crowd skeptical of British R&B? Possibly both. Produced by scene veterans including Geeneus, Zinc and Magnetic Man, the record ranges widely, from rolling U.K. funky to skeletal breakbeat soul, and from peak-time club hits to idiosyncratic house a la Basement Jaxx. But the standouts "Perfect Stranger" and "Katy on a Mission" prove her effortless command of dubstep at its most epic.
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Nikki Jean spent years singing backup for Lupe Fiasco, King Britt and others before commanding the spotlight on Pennies in a Jar. Weaving through girl-group harmonies ("My Love") and Philly soul ("How to Unring a Bell") with audible delight, she's clearly having a ball, and her playfulness is infectious. This charming debut includes contributions from Bob Dylan (who co-wrote "Steel and Feathers"), Burt Bacharach (who co-wrote "Pennies in a Jar") and Lupe and Black Thought, who add raps to "Million Star Motel."
Don't mistake Hamilton Park for slick dance-pop stars; the Atlanta quartet aspires to the "beggin'" tradition of '90s male combos like Jodeci and Jagged Edge. Their debut EP is surprisingly strong, with a cover of Guy's bedroom classic "Piece of My Love," and "Clock Stops" displaying their husky vocal arrangements and Marcus Lee's gospel exhortations. It's rare to hear vintage R&B in an age of urban crossover and Auto-Tune, but Hamilton Park seems determined to bring it back.
Van Hunt indulges his inner Shuggie Otis on this sprawling funk-rock album. It's as if he made it while sitting on his porch, kicking up his feet on the rail as he strummed on his guitar. The carefree vibe of What Were You Hoping For? is more memorable than loose grooves like "Plum," which wanders so much that it easily fades from memory. Other tracks have unusual asides, whether it's a mysterious French voice during the bridge of "Cross Dresser" or a glam hard rock transition during "North Hollywood." This is a quirky delight that may require multiple listens to appreciate.
Jason Derulo is good at many things: clubby nihilism, dramatic R&B synth-onies, candlelit booty jams, sweeping/desperate crooning over odd/exotic beats (see the Toto-sampling "Fight for You" or the arabesque beats of "Breathing"). He even (almost) pulls off hip-hop swagger. In other words, his second album showcases an artist who can wear many hats, but also risks getting lost under them, leaving us without a strong sense of who Jason Derulo is. What he does best, in fact, is to recreate styles we know and love with just a teensy twist. But that, friends, can be a great recipe for pop success.
As far as teen R&B albums go, Mindless Behavior's #1 Girl isn't too bad. Much like post-millennial pop group B2K, this quartet of Los Angeles boys doesn't have a dominant vocal presence, and it's hard to enjoy their songs without imagining the liquid dance moves in their videos. The clear standouts are singles like the title track and "Mrs. Right," where they and rapper Diggy Simmons celebrate the ladies over a grinding beat reminiscent of Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now." Other tracks, like the sugary "Hello" and "Hook It Up," rely on a tasteful amount of Auto-Tune.
