If you didn't like him before, you may want to tune in. And if you raved about his last album, you may be disgruntled by this artist's noticeable departure from his original flair. John Legend's second production, Once Again, seems to be a bit of a misnomer. Its more mature and reserved sound is by no means an echo of his funky-fresh triumphant debut.
The infusion of modern hip-hop that permeated his debut, Get Lifted, is less pronounced in Once Again. There's less attitude this time around. Although some of the early tracks, such as "Heaven" and "Stereo," initiate a beat-heavy urban feel, the tone quickly shifts into a softer, more spiritual piano ballad mode, only occasionally breaking loose again.
Here's an honest reaction to Legend's new sound. I simultaneously uploaded both new and original Legend albums for purposes of comparison. (I had previously only known the "standout tracks" from his first album.) And here's the kicker: As I was trying to get acquainted with Once Again, I found myself wanting to track back to his first album.
While a Pandora query -- the online search engine that spits you a list of similar artists when you type in a name -- for earlier Legend may have given you hits like Kanye or Ne-Yo, a search on Legend now might produce names like Michael Bublé or Marvin Gaye.
Legend's slow piano jams were all the more dazzling in Get Lifted because they balanced the edgier urban scores (with bumping bass tones, a rap refrain here and there and even a sound-off from Snoop Dogg). The mix demonstrated the musician's creative versatility. In his new release, the piano jams are still soulfully enjoyable, just without juxtaposition.
Despite Legend's stylistic transformation, or possibly simplification, his sound is still captivating. "Save Room" opens the album with a memorable melody and likeable lyrics. "Heaven" follows with the catchy beats and head-bobbing flair of familiar Legend. "P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)" is pure happiness in a song, echoing a bygone and whimsical era with its repeated invitation: "Let's go to the park / ... we just don't care." When you play the mental music video of this ditty, it features a line of dancers doing the gleeful snap-back-and-forth.
At its worst, Once Again is elevator music. At its best, it's an artistic maturation into pleasant adult, contemporary easy-listening that incorporates a classic heritage. It is at times refreshingly happy, recalling the essence of Sinatra. Although it might attract a more conservative audience, its pleasing vocals and tickling lyrics reincarnate the innocent music of happy eras past.
To return to my first reaction -- after a dedicated listen-through or two of Once Again, I found myself replaying those particularly appealing tracks, and enjoying the overall experience.
You could say John Legend's second release, Once Again, presents the case of the age-old evolution of the artist, like it or not.
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