Ruben Studdard's career has been a study in course corrections, with each album acting as an answer to what preceded it. Love IS is a reaction to the heavy seduction of The Return, scaling back the seductive Luther Vandross vibe -- something Studdard's couldn't really pull off in the first place -- and playing up Ruben's cuddly qualities. These are songs of longtime relationships, not new love, and the music is appropriately settled, grounded in quiet storm but drifting into adult contemporary via covers of Extreme's "More Than Words" and the Beatles' "Long and Winding Road," all of which helps give the album a bit of a retro-vibe; really only the stuttering rhythms of "Don't Make Em" make it seem like it could fit onto the contemporary R&B charts. This could be called resignation, but it's really an acceptance of what Ruben Studdard's peculiar strengths are: he's a smooth soul singer constitutionally incapable of suggesting anything racier than a tight snuggle, so it's best to keep him warm and huggable, as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis do here. Not that Love IS is perfect -- it's so relaxed it can sometimes be sleepy and Ruben's upper register, which he relies upon too much, can sometimes seem whiny -- but as a whole this is the best recorded representation of Ruben's talents to date.
Ruben Studdard also promoted his recently released album Love IS by stopping by Idol Confessions. I like these things. He sang a bit of "The Long & Winding Road," which was good, but only reminded me of David Archuleta's far superior version. I am only just realizing that I didn't post the album reviews I was supposed to last week, but I'll try to get to them soon.
More >
Click HERE to listen to a clip of each song on Ruben Studdard's upcoming fourth album Love IS (May 19th). The album features a few covers, but still manages to sound pretty much the same throughout... not that it's a bad sound, considering it did win him American Idol after all.
More >
Ruben Studdard - Love IS [2009]2009 album from the American Idol winner. Six years ago, Ruben Studdard's life changed in an instant. And it's been changing ever since. This year will bring even more changes, as Ruben releases his fourth album, continues touring the country in Ain't Misbehavin' and celebrates his first wedding anniversary. Love Is is helmed by two of the most successful producer...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Together |
|
|
| 2 More Than Words |
|
|
| 3 Song for Her |
|
|
| 4 How You Make Me Feel |
|
|
| 5 Don't Make 'Em Like U No More |
|
|
| 6 I Can't Help It |
|
|
| 7 Just Because |
|
|
| 8 My Love Is a Rock |
|
|
| 9 The Long and Winding Road |
|
|
| 10 For the Good Times |
|
|
| 11 We Got Love (That's Enough) |
|
|
| 12 Footprints in the Sand |
|
|
Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Love IS")
