Advertisement
Getting Out Our Dreams/Sony Urban Music/Columbia
Earthy alternative soul nearly disappeared from the charts in 2005, with one important exception: John Legend and his protector Kanye West came up with a mainstream breakthrough for a crafty singer-songwriter whose R&B comes across simultaneously classic and hip-hop-conscious. Legend's gospel-trained pipes navigate both West's wry, beat-savvy productions and strikingly optimistic soul tracks that are reminiscent of Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder. Even Snoop Dogg gets lifted by Legend's contrite pimp confessions on "I Can Change."
Next: Van Morrison, Magic Time