Love Behind The Melody [CD]

Sophomore album for Raheem Devaughn is just as good if not better than the first album. The album just like the first displays the vocals of the very talented raheem devaughn over some very good tracks. Track by track he displays his love and respect for women. It is good to hear an adult album amongst the slew of albums that have been released by teenagers lately. The only song on the album I didn't care for is FRIDAY (SHUT DOWN THE CLUB). Its not a bad song, it just doesn't really fit in on this album. All the other songs are bangers. Some of my go to songs are DESIRE, EMPTY, and MARATHON featuring Floetry. This album is dope don't sleep!!!!!

I was introduced to Raheem DeVaughn when I heard the song "Guess Who Loves You More". The song sampled the classic Earth, Wind & Fire track "Can't Hide Love" and the song quickly became one of my favorites in the year 2004. I was anticipating the release of Raheem's debut CD but the project kept getting pushed back. I finally heard another track "Believe", which was a nice slow jam and finally in 2005 we were blessed with Raheem DeVaughn debut CD entitled The Love Experience. The title track instantly became my favorite track as Raheem went through the experiences in his life when he did people wrong and people did him wrong when the word love became involved. Since, he had personal experiences to be able to relate to, he had a better understanding of what love was. My other favorite tracks ended up being "You", "Breathe", "Where I Stand", "Ask Yourself" and "Who". This CD remained in heavy rotation for awhile and I was definitely looking forward to see what the future held for Raheem DeVaughn.

I began to hear a track from Raheem entitled "Woman" and I was glad to hear that the track was the 1st single from his new CD entitled "Love Behind The Melody". Raheem's dedication to every grandmother, mother, sister and baby mama across the world was produced by Carl "Chucky" Thompson who produced Emily King's East Side Story that was released last year. If you do not have Emily's CD you should definitely pick that up. It's one of my favorite r&b releases from 2007.

"Love Behind The Melody" was released on January 15, 2008. After the 1st single, Raheem gives us "Love Drug" which was produced by Scott Storch. This track doesn't sound like anything that he has produced before and Raheem is able to tell us about how he and his partner are addicted to each other's lovin'. "Energy" features Big Boi from Outkast and Scott Storch returns to produce an uptempo banger. "Energy" will end up sounding like the uptempo version of "Love Drug" but Raheem's voice and Big Boi's rap will definitely keep you on the dance floor for a little over 3 minutes. Now as a r&b fan, there are certain songs that you don't try to remake or to sample. Well, Kwame, yes that same Kwame from his polka dot days when he had "The Rhyhtm", samples The Temptations' "My Girl" to make "Friday". The production is the best part of the song as Raheem definitely violates with "I guess you'll say what can make me feel this way, Friday!, Friday!, Friday!". Then he proceeds to want to "Shut the club down". Make sure that you just skip this track when you listen to this CD. "Customer" is decent but compared to the rest of the slow jams on "Love Behind The Melody" it seems as if Raheem was doing some major reaching on this track. "You can have it your way, you're the customer". "You can have me supersized, with some lovin' on the side". No thanks Raheem. However, things get much better on "Mo Better". Once you hear this track, you will immediately forget about the missteps on "Friday" and "Customer". Irregardless of how his life is going Raheem is just thankful to have his "baby" in his life. Jack Splash does a nice job on the production and this is clearly my favorite track on "Love Behind The Melody". Malik Yusef does a nice spoken word rap on "Woman I Desire" and sets up the next track rather nicely. Malik Yusef was featured with Common & Kanye West on "Would You Like To Ride", which was featured on the Coach Carter soundtrack. "Desire" is another nice track as Raheem wants a particular woman to stop teasing him and playing games as his longing for her is getting to a point where he can no longer wait to be with her. "Marathon" features Floetry as the hits just keep on coming. Marsha Ambrosius is simply phenominal on this track as she and Raheem go back and forth to sing some sweet, sensual lyrics. "Butterflies" goes back to "The Love Experience" as the song sounds just like a track that would have been on Raheem's debut. This song had to grow on me, but I feel that you will be impressed with the track after a few listens. "She's Not You" has Raheem in a situation where he has the right woman in his life and he knows that, but he is saying that should he decide to stray, get another woman's phone number or if he even decides to be with another woman, that no woman could compare to his #1 lady. "Can We Try Again?" is an interlude that sets up "Try Again" pretty good as Raheem is trying to get a woman back in his life that he did wrong. He realizes his mistakes and he is willing to do whatever it takes to get this woman back. Mark Batson, who did some production on Anthony Hamilton's "Ain't Nobody Worryin'" does a nice job on the midtempo "Try Again". The infamous slow jam man Bryan Michael Cox produces another one of my favorites in "Energy". Soon I will have to pass a law that says no r&b CD can be released without atleast one slow jam from Bryan Michael Cox. Check his resume, he has the slow jam down to a science. Raheem speaks about a woman who his so special that your life wouldn't be anything without this particular special lady in their life. I can definitely can relate to this song. "Four Letter Word" ends things on a good note as Raheem has another track to let us know how love has him feeling.

If you purchased "Love Behind The Melody" from Circuit City then you were blessed with the bonus track, "Some Kind Of Way". Some woman must have Raheem "wide open"..lol as Raheem feels like a king on a throne, with this woman on his arm. Other than "Friday" and "Customer", Raheem has blessed us with a nice r&b CD to start 2008 out right. Some fans of "The Love Experience" may be disappointed because this CD does have more of a r&b sound to it but the majority of the fans of Raheem's debut will have "Love Behind The Melody" in heavy rotation just like I do at the present time. If you enjoyed "The Love Experience" then you'll also enjoy "Love Behind The Melody".

James' Top 5

1) Mo Better
2) Empty
3) Marathon w/Floetry
4) Woman
5) Desire

Honorable Mention:

Try Again
Energy w/Big Boi
Love Drug
Butterflies
Four Letter Word
Some Kind Of Way (Bonus Track)

After the releases of "The Love Experience" and "Love Behind the Melody", Raheem DeVaughn hasn't a thing to prove to anyone. He is a very talented vocalist and his lyrics are definitely among the best when comparing them to his male contemporaries. His words will keep a smile on your face. He says things that will make a woman's heart skip beats. "Love Behind the Melody" is such an impressive album, I can't decide which is better between it and his amazing "The Love Experience." I would say that this one is more consistent than his first, so it has the upper hand. "Love Behind the Melody" is inundated with ballads and mid-tempos with lots of piano and drum, lots of sincerity, all the work of a seemingly sincere and mellow gentleman.

I'm a sucker for live instrumentation, and this album has much of that! "Love Drug" has crafty lyrics as well as some talented individuals on the instruments. "Friday (Shut the Club Down)" samples The Temptation's hit "My Girl." I had a great time listening to this song, especially the parts where DeVaughn apes the Temps. "Desire" and "Marathon" have somewhat eerie production, but are remotely enjoyable nonetheless. "Marathon" features two incredibly talented women, Floetry! Their collaboration with DeVaughn is alright, but with all this talent in one studio, a better result surely could have been birthed. Oh, well. "Four Letter Word" is one of the more memorable moments on this LP. I particularly reveled in the melody; it is nothing short of fantastic! Also, this album's production is all kind of similar, but this song is very different than the rest of the album. It is imperative that everyone pay special attention to the lyrics on the phenomenal song, "Woman." This is easily one of the best songs dedicated to women in decades. DeVaughn repeatedly thanks women for all they do, but I want to thank him as well for acknowledging us!

I predict that this will be one of the best releases of the year 2008, hence the 5 star rating I granted it. He really gave his all, and the finished product proves that he can go toe to toe with each and every one of his male contemporaries. "Love Behind the Melody" will be a compliment to your music collection.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Woman I Desire"
2. "Customer"
3. "Love Drug"
4. "Four Letter Word"
5. "Woman"