robinthicke-theevolutionofrobinthicke music reviews Virgin Media
Son of Alan, mate of Pharrell, rival of Justin and major new soul talent delivers confident second album
With his sweet syrupy falsetto and take on slick neo-soul, it would be easy to dismiss Robin Thicke as a Prince-revering Timberlake-a-like. But revered by no less than Pharrell Williams and snapped up to his Star Trak imprint on the back of his cult debut Cherry Blue Skies, Thicke has quietly enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter/producer (Aguilera and Usher are clients) before finally delivering this long-delayed sophomore effort.
Timberlake comparisons are inevitable but Thicke, a talented multi-instrumentalist, is arguably a far more confident soul-boy. The seductively hypnotic Lost Without U (which made him the first white male since George Michael to top the US R&B charts) perfectly demonstrates Thicke’s grown-up R&B ballad mastery and forms the bedrock of The Evolution... . Got 2 Be Down featuring Faith Evans with its mid-Seventies mid-tempo Marvin Gaye-style flow and the slinky Wanna Love U Girl with Pharrell are collaborative highlights while Thicke is versatile enough for genre-jumping interludes into jazzy swing (Complicated) and even mambo (Everything I Can’t Have). Admittedly, 17 tracks is self-indulgent and the occasional hackneyed lyrics grate, but largely The Evolution... is a refreshing fillip for contemporary soul and the perfect showcase for a real talent.
More to try:
Justin Timberlake: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Pharrell Williams: In My Mind
John Legend: Get Lifted
