Raheem Devaughn

Calling DeVaughn a neo-soul artist is doing the singer a disservice. Sure, Look Behind the Melody pays tribute to the classics, and, in its better moments, the singer's falsetto evokes memories of Marvin, but the tracks here are tight, well-executed pop gems. The Grammy-nominated "Woman" balances a driving backbeat above the piano figure loop and DeVaughn's velvety purr, while "Customer" approaches the swooning dream pop of Ne-Yo. There are some clunkers (the more ostensibly soulful songs tend toward maudlin mush), but this is a major refinement from his debut.