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Raheem Devaughn |
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Love Behind the Melody |
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Jive |
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By DONYA BLAZE
Published: March 24, 2008
While the early part of the decade had record labels rushing to sign artists that fit the neo-soul niche, a turban or some incense alone does not good music make. Luckily, there are still artists like Raheem Devaughn who are original enough to do 70’s retro soul without being corny or contrived. After his 2005 debut was slept on by the mainstream, selling only 224,000 copies, Devaughn is back with the equally smoothed out and potent Love Behind the Melody destined to convert any non-believers.
Aside from the rare hilarity of a De La Soul or Redman skit, most people buy albums to hear full songs. Accordingly, Love Behind eschews drawn-out intros, outros, shout-outs, and other pointless filler, instead flowing from one flawless track to the next. When he does pause for the occasional interlude like “Woman I Desire” featuring Chicago poet Malik Yusef or the woozy “Midnight,” it’s merely an extension of the mood and not an interruption.
The first single “Woman” and its rumored follow-up “Customer” are both great introductions to the Devaughn aesthetic, but the CD’s true forte is its Quiet Storm staples. It’s a good thing the sensual “Marathon” featuring Floetry’s Marsha Ambrosius clocks in at almost six minutes, because the duo’s whispery chemistry is an aural excursion begging to be continued. Meanwhile, “Love Drug” is the equivalent of having a twilight massage topped off with a glass of champagne, and Jack Splash’s production on “Mo Better” straddles the line between slow jam and mid-tempo effortlessly, dipping and climaxing at just the right moments. There’s even a throwback talk break at the end where the singer admits “I know I’m kinda young, but I got a old soul.”
Don’t sleep, though. The D.C. native still knows how to get the party started with the Big Boi-assisted “Energy” and the K1-produced “Friday (Shut the Club Down).” Just as he did with his awesome flip of the usually cliche sample of the Isley’s “Between the Sheets” for his debut’s “Until,” Devaughn and K1 create a modern interpretation of The Temptations’ “My Girl” instead of mimicking it.
“Butterflies,” “Empty,” and “Four Letter Word” are slightly less powerful and could’ve been left off, scaling the disc down to a perfect fourteen tracks, but it doesn’t really matter. Love Behind the Melody is still 90% better than what’s on the radio, ensuring this “R&B hippie neo-soul rock star” will be name-checked for years to come.
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