Dwele
Sketches of a Man
This native Detroiter has gotten progressively better with each album. Some Kinda ..., his last release from 2005, improved on Subject, his 2003 debut, with fuller arrangements and tighter songs. For his new album, Dwele left Virgin Records, the label that didn't quite know what to do with him. Going the indie route this time, the singer-songwriter still largely adheres to the feathery, keyboard-dominated sound that has garnered him critical praise, if not big sales.
But the programmed beats are sparer on Sketches of a Man than on Dwele's previous efforts, and he takes more chances in the arrangements. "Workin' On It," a too-brief cut, is built on little more than hand claps and rock guitar. It dreamily melts into "Brandi," a languid mid-tempo track featuring Slim Village. The tender, gospel-kissed remake of Bobby Caldwell's "Open Your Eyes," which Common brilliantly sampled on his 2000 hit single "The Light," is another standout. At 20 tracks, though, Sketches of Man is overlong. But the album brims with warmly understated songs from one of modern R&B's brightest hopes.
Leon Ware
Moon Ride
Ware is responsible for some of the most gorgeously sensual soul to come out of the 1970s. He wrote and produced Marvin Gaye's I Want You, the Motown legend's dark 1976 ode to the bedroom. He also co-wrote Minnie Riperton's untouchable 1975 single, "Inside My Love," one of my all-time favorite cuts. Although the California-based artist has recorded a string of evergreen albums of his own, including the classics Musical Massage (1976) and Rockin' You Eternally (1981), he has never scored any big hits. But he remains a celebrated cult figure overseas.
On Moon Ride - Ware's debut for the relaunched Stax label and his first major-label release in more than two decades - the veteran singer-songwriter continues his lyrical journeys into all things sensual. The CD is essentially an update of the sound Ware gelled with Gaye more than 30 years ago. Or if you're familiar with Musical Massage, a slightly better produced album than I Want You, you may say Moon Ride contemporizes that criminally overlooked gem. Ware's hushed vocals fold into the 12 velvety late-night cuts. His voice haunts the bumping title track and gently seduces on "I Never Loved So Much." With its laid-back vibe and rich musical subtlety, Moon Ride probably won't garner new listeners accustomed to the shrill dissonance of today's R&B. But it's a welcome reprieve from it all.
rashod.ollison@baltsun.com
