John Legend

“Once Again”

(G.O.O.D./Sony)

4 Stars


With his 2004 debut “Get Lifted,” John Legend emerged as a new fresh voice to the world of popular R&B. With carefully tailored lyrics about life and love, Legend brought back a classic style that had fallen out of favor with male R&B singers, with piano-laced tracks and an easy voice that flowed without straining. He brought romance back to R&B, contrasting with the bump and grind that had become synonymous with the genre.

“Once Again,” Legend’s sophomore album, delivers more of the same; it’s not exactly innovative, but when you’ve got a niche as well figured out as Legend does, there’s little reason to change.

It’s a no-skip type of album; none of Legend’s tales of love and admiration for his lover are filler. Still, some are better than others. “Stereo” is markedly different from the rest of the album for its heavier drum line, which makes the track stand out without sounding forced. “P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care)” is the standout track of the album, where a tight beat and Legend’s lyrics paint a love story flawlessly.

“Slow Dance” is noteworthy for Legend’s unique style and ability to stop the song, before picking back up where he left off. “Coming Home,” which closes the album, leaves the listener in the same place that “Get Lifted” did, renewing one’s faith in R&B, and in the process nodding back at Legend’s main influence, gospel music.

Still, the album does leave something to be desired. While Legend appears to have mastered the art of soul and by mixing a classic style with modern influences, it seems that he does so by template; there’s not much variety to the songs here. Even though each song sounds great on its own, after a few listens many of the songs begin to sound a bit too similar.

The guest appearances that Legend used on his first album to help establish himself as a top-shelf artist are definitely missed in this attempt. While not every song needs a hip-hop beat or a rapper cameo, the work of Kanye West and Snoop Dogg were definitely welcome variation on Legend’s previous album. Legend’s attempt to be truly classic and stand alone on the album is admirable, but this album lacks the frit and variety necessary to pull this off.

Despite this, every song on “Once Again” is worth a listen. The instrumentals behind each track also carry out like a beautiful piece that serve to remind us that brilliant tracks can be produced without ripping off some earlier version of Pharrell. Rather, the brilliance of producers like Kanye West shine through in a low-key way, letting Legend’s voice carry smoothly over all the beats. Though it’s not a masterstroke, it’s safe to say that Legend’s sound will stand the test of time.