Maxwell's New 1

I am a Maxwell fan. In my opinion, he is one of the better neo-soul singers out there. After an eight year hiatus from the music scene, Maxwell returns with BLACKsummers'night, a powerful soul album with just one problem --- it is good, just not off da chain. The nine track soul opera opens with "Bad Habits," which is currently on urban stations across the country. It is one of the best tracks and also the longest on the album. I found myself revisiting this track more than the other eight. "Cold," blares out of the speakers and is a nice track, but it sounded like something that was leftover from Urban Hang Suite. "Pretty Wings," is the smoothest track on the cd. I agree with my friend, Shaun, about this being a break up song. "Please Somebody," is about the heaviest track rhythmic wise on the album. It felt out of place to me, but lyrically it is sound. "Stop The World," continues in Maxwell's Embrya sound. A chill track with a serious message. Out of all of the tracks, I was most impressed with "Love You." It sounds different from many Maxwell tracks. A feel good song. My favorite on the cd. "Fistful of Tears," feels like filler. "Playing Possum," reminds me of something from Now. There isn't much to the beat here, but an impressive Maxwell track. The final track, "Phoenix Rise," gives the listener a glimpse into the mystro Maxwell is. This is a listenable track with a sick cadence. Overall, I was expecting more.

Final Grade: B