Raheem DeVaughn's Love Behind the Melody
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If you've never heard of Raheem DeVaughn before, just listen to the introduction off his sophomore album Love Behind the Melody: "I go by the name of the R&B hippie, neo-soul rock star Raheem DeVaughn." Perhaps he's a hippie rocker, but more than anything he's a sincere R&B, neo-soul man, even calling to mind — or perhaps filling the void of — D'Angelo and Maxwell. The soulful brand of sophistication that DeVaughn brings to the table on this love-themed album can be heard in his vocals, which float over smooth, grooving rhythms. Love Behind the Melody is loaded with ballads, and while many of them are very good, slow love songs can only carry an album so far.
The song "Woman," which has gained DeVaughn a 2008 Grammy nomination in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category, is the strongest track. Over an easy, piano-driven groove, Raheem gives a heartfelt shout-out to strong women everywhere, and he sounds quite convincing. Most R&B artists would've made this song all about a woman’s sex appeal, but DeVaughn's a sensitive crooner who appreciates the ladies for more than that. He'll big-up his baby mom "for raisin' my young man" before making it rain on some hoes.
On the whole, the album manages to stay in the same love-soaked vein all the way through. When Raheem DeVaughn runs out of ways to express love's ups and downs, he calls on Big Boi from Outkast ("Energy") and Floetry ("Marathon"). Scott Storch lends his production talents to "Energy," a mid-tempo Gnarls Barkley-esque song about the magnetic energy that can exist between two people. Big Boi's ATL flow suits the relaxed beat. He describes an "energy like Bill and Hillary Clinton," adding, "Did I mention my chicks? They 'round like a pension plan." He could be playing to the mature audience of Raheem's fans, but Big Boi sounds world's away from today's ringtone rappers. "Marathon" is for the slow-jam-loving people, as it mostly relies on the seductive rhythm to get the message across. Floetry sings about marathon love-making, while Raheem's verse focuses on catering to his lover: "I respond to her femininity." He has the ability to get away with smooth-talker lines like that; it's what makes DeVaughn a grown man's grown man.
As an artist rooted in neo-soul, DeVaughn skillfully sticks to what he knows without trying to integrate too much of today's flavor of pop-infused R&B music. At the same time, radio-friendly "Friday (Shut the Club Down)" is the track that could help him score many more fans. DeVaughn is best at making songs that sound like throwbacks, more or less following the R&B/soul rulebook. Here, he directly draws from the past with "My Girl" by The Temptations as the main sample. Raheem interpolates the original hook into a light-hearted weekend jump-off ("What can make me feel this way? Friday, Friday").
DeVaughn has managed to create a cohesive, though at times unexciting, album, that emphasizes the many forms love takes. The album is only an hour long, but by the later half of Love Behind the Melody he's already gotten his message across. Perhaps Raheem DeVaughn would benefit by conjuring up his hippie rocker side next time around.
The song "Woman," which has gained DeVaughn a 2008 Grammy nomination in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category, is the strongest track. Over an easy, piano-driven groove, Raheem gives a heartfelt shout-out to strong women everywhere, and he sounds quite convincing. Most R&B artists would've made this song all about a woman’s sex appeal, but DeVaughn's a sensitive crooner who appreciates the ladies for more than that. He'll big-up his baby mom "for raisin' my young man" before making it rain on some hoes.
On the whole, the album manages to stay in the same love-soaked vein all the way through. When Raheem DeVaughn runs out of ways to express love's ups and downs, he calls on Big Boi from Outkast ("Energy") and Floetry ("Marathon"). Scott Storch lends his production talents to "Energy," a mid-tempo Gnarls Barkley-esque song about the magnetic energy that can exist between two people. Big Boi's ATL flow suits the relaxed beat. He describes an "energy like Bill and Hillary Clinton," adding, "Did I mention my chicks? They 'round like a pension plan." He could be playing to the mature audience of Raheem's fans, but Big Boi sounds world's away from today's ringtone rappers. "Marathon" is for the slow-jam-loving people, as it mostly relies on the seductive rhythm to get the message across. Floetry sings about marathon love-making, while Raheem's verse focuses on catering to his lover: "I respond to her femininity." He has the ability to get away with smooth-talker lines like that; it's what makes DeVaughn a grown man's grown man.
As an artist rooted in neo-soul, DeVaughn skillfully sticks to what he knows without trying to integrate too much of today's flavor of pop-infused R&B music. At the same time, radio-friendly "Friday (Shut the Club Down)" is the track that could help him score many more fans. DeVaughn is best at making songs that sound like throwbacks, more or less following the R&B/soul rulebook. Here, he directly draws from the past with "My Girl" by The Temptations as the main sample. Raheem interpolates the original hook into a light-hearted weekend jump-off ("What can make me feel this way? Friday, Friday").
DeVaughn has managed to create a cohesive, though at times unexciting, album, that emphasizes the many forms love takes. The album is only an hour long, but by the later half of Love Behind the Melody he's already gotten his message across. Perhaps Raheem DeVaughn would benefit by conjuring up his hippie rocker side next time around.
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