Review

Robin Thicke: Love After War (Polydor)

With 20 delicious soul songs; ladies and gentlemen please welcome “Love After War” into your album collection. The third track from the album deserves a Grammy nomination titled “Never Give Up." Backed with a full orchestra this outstanding piece of musical works just shows us how Mr. Thicke is unafraid to sing over anything given it a strong R&B beat.

Other highlights included... “A New Generation”, this is a really cool, head nodder, hip-hop beat with soulful horns playing in the background. “Love After War” is a sexy R&B number, showing off his sultry moments and ability to connect the audience to the song both lyrically and musically.

Then there is the Lil’ Wayne collaboration on “Lil’ Pretty Heart.” Its got a thug R&B groove to it, which could easily fit on a contemporary Blaxploitation soundtrack and if strings would be added it would sound scarily similar to that of the late great, Curtis Mayfield, with Robin’s high pitched vocal attempts.

“Tears On My Tuxedo” is the third smash for soul fans; it’s got an extremely sensual and romantic vibe to it that will certainly grab Thicke more female attention and fans. Now, with a Latin sensibility “Lovely Lady” is a hip moving song that tells a story of how he must have his misses tonight for a bit of love and romancing. This guy surely knows how to captivate the opposite sex through the art of singing, he plays it cool through out this album, and the last high light from “Love After War” is his new version of “Stupid Things”, nobody remembers that Robin Thicke first came onto the music scene as simply Thicke - then released a stunning debut album “A Beautiful World”. This blue-eyed soul man is living his dream, and you should be sharing it with him too. Great album!
Words MATTHEW DANIEL