John Legend - Once Again

John Legend has recently taken the R&B world by storm with his soulful voice, classical piano stylings and meaningful lyrics. His first CD, Get Lifted (released December 2004),instantly became a platinum hit featuring the song "Ordinary People," which has been featured on many radio stations across the country, even hitting #4 on Billboard's Top 100 chart. After the success of his first album, it's no surprise his newest effort Once Again is becoming such a massive hit.

A few songs certainly stand out enough to become released as singles, including "Save Room," and "P.D.A (We Just Don't Care)," with the latter being his more recent release. "Save Room" is a song which uses every instrument in Legend's arsenal to create a classy smooth-jazz sound, with light vocals and strong back-ups to support his piano. His other release "P.D.A" features a more progressive sound. The upbeat, romantic lyrics of the song combined with a silky performance from his piano and the rest of his group really make it a natural hit.

Other soon-to-be hits on the CD include "Another Again," "Heaven," and "Again," each having a unique composition and sound. "Heaven" wracks up as a personal favorite of mine, with Legend's background singers singing an upbeat reminiscent of the great Supremes. If you're already a John Legend fan, the song "Again" will surely remind you of another one of his award-winning songs named "Ordinary People," due to both songs only having Legend singing and playing piano, with no backup instruments or vocals. I personally find these songs to be the best, as they really show the complexity and emotion his voice has to offer. "Another Again" seems to be a favorite of Legend himself, as he's been seen playing this song in many of his concerts, with good reason too, as it can be compared to "Save Room" in that the full band is used to orchestrate a wonderful R&B piece.

But when speaking of unique songs, one cannot overlook "Maxine," which can certainly be described as offbeat. Legend's strange vocals and island-rhythmic sound in this song make for quite a blissful experience, an experience hard to find not only on the rest of the CD, but in music in general. Don't skip over this track, make sure to listen to it at least once. It will surely grow on you.

Coming in at around $16.99 (as of 9/21/07 on https://www.fye.com) this CD is certainly worth every penny. Whether you're a fan of the classic jazz greats, or if you like the more progressive sounds of modern smooth jazz, John Legend certainly has the sound you're looking for.