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British bee-hive diva Amy Winehouse proved that Motown-style R&B can ignite an audience beyond old record-store geeks. Now, California soul brother Raphael Saadiq shows how we do it over here in America. With a supple tenor that glides up easily into Smokey Robinson territory, the former Tony! Toni! Toné! frontman has crafted a filler-free album that evokes classic Northern soul without sounding slavish. Saadiq isn't afraid to flaunt tradition: "Big Easy" employs New Orleans brass, "Calling" showcases Mexican balladeer Rocio Mendoza, "Sometimes" adds digital stabs to old-school string arrangements, and the bonus version of "Oh Girl" finds Jay-Z dropping loverman rhymes. And while Saadiq's lyrics aren't as flamboyant as Winehouse's, the singer is all 21st-century forwardness on the smoldering Temptations-style come-on "Let's Take a Walk," where he plainly tells his companion, "I need some sex." Sometimes a man has to lose the metaphors.
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Track List
- Sure Hope You Mean It
- 100 Yard Dash
- Keep Marchin'
- Big Easy
-
Just One Kiss (track not available in Rhapsody)
- Love That Girl
- Calling
- Staying In Love
- Oh Girl
- Let's Take A Walk
- Never Give You Up
- Sometimes
-
Oh Girl (featuring Jay-Z) (track not available in Rhapsody)
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©Copyright 2009 Rolling Stone; Jann S. Wenner, editor and publisher
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
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