Musiq (Soulchild): Juslisen : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On his debut album, Aijuswanaseing, two years ago, Musiq Soulchild demonstrated talent but little to distinguish himself from the pack of male neo-soul singers. He was so calculatedly Afro-boho that you could all but smell the incense and sensitivity wafting from the disc. But with Juslisen, the singer-songwriter (he now goes by just "Musiq") has delivered a record that far exceeds expectations. Deeply sexy, filled with bottom-heavy grooves and dynamic production, it's an early candidate for R&B album of the year. Like his peers, Musiq unabashedly worships at the shrines of Stevie Wonder and the late Donny Hathaway. But on the new collection, he also nimbly references Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone and Al Green; their influences -- heady funk, Baptist fervor and the vibe where the two meet -- are all over the disc. Both the slinkily erotic "Religious" and the tender ode "Mother Father" derive power from their old-fashioned gospel arrangements. The lovely build and cascade of overdubbed voices on "One Night" is a straight-up nod to Gaye. Throughout, Musiq gives his range an impressive workout, but it never seems forced; he never oversings or tortures notes just because he can, and he's always in the service of the song. Lyrically, he sticks with what worked before -- almost all the songs boil down to a variation on the same theme: Girl, you know I love you, so why you (A) trippin'; (B) leadin' me on; and/or (C) still doubtin' me or ya self. But the songs are tighter this time, the production more varied and inspired, and the overall package -- though it could have been shortened by two or three songs -- resonates with emotion and creativity.

ERNEST HARDY
(RS 896 - May 23, 2002)