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John Legend
Once Again
(G.O.O.D./Sony BMG)
Neo-soul man John Legend's major-label debut Get Lifted certainly gave him a lift, earning him fame, fortune, a hit single and three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. A lot of folks would be hard-pressed to follow up a disc like that. But singer-pianist Legend has not only risen to the challenge -- he may have outdone himself.
Once Again is every bit as confident, creative and consistently daring as its predecessor, with 13 well-crafted lover-man cuts that find Legend gently nudging his sound in new directions with the help of producers like will.i.am and Kanye.
Save Room has a Doorsy ambience, along with Burt Bacharach overtones in its ba-bup-ba backup vocals and chirpy horns. Stereo has a low-kickin' groove and a dusty vocal line reminiscent of Sting. Show Me's guitar lines come straight from under the Chili Peppers' Bridge.
Each Day Gets Better and Slow Dance channel old-school Motown, Another Again borrows some wah-wah guitar and flute from Curtis Mayfield, and Coming Home is a lush, mournful ballad that could have flowed from Jackson Browne's pen. "I'm doin' it again," he sings.
We won't be surprised to hear him say the same thing come Grammy night.
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Track Listing:
1. Save Room
2. Heaven
3. Stereo
4. Show Me
5. Each Day Gets Better
6. P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)
7. Slow Dance
8. Again
9. Maxine
10. Where Did My Baby Go
11. Maxine's Interlude
12. Another Again
13. Coming Home