No big surprises on soul singer Joe's fifth album. Again, he's good for sultry and sweet-voiced R&B, with the occasional stray hip-hop beat passing by. In that genre Joe is considered an absolute hit, proving once again that he has a nose for the right songs. That distinguishes him from a comparable singer like Musiq Soulchild, who often comes up with material that is too casual. A highlight is
… the funky sample of Curtis Mayfield based Sweeter Than Sugar. A bit more of these dance numbers would have been welcome, the tempo on the CD is very slow overall. But yes, that's what you get when you team up with R. Kelly, the master of the r & b ballad. One tough contribution from the rap crew of 50 Cent (G-Unit) in the song Ride Wit U cannot change that. (MS)more
