by Johnny Kwest New York, NY Reviewed on January 10th, 2005
Some print sources (Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone) have proclaimed Mr. John Stephens the second coming, a purveyor of soul that can move beyond the ordinariness that much of modern R&B has yielded. The man is indeed talented, but in my humble opinion, I believe that the laudable marks his album has received thus far are more a product of potential than of actual output. For an artist capable of conjuring up some of the most urbane, emotive soul, a la Roberta Flack, in recent memory, the artist suffers from a temporary, albeit notable problem of inconsistency.
The strongest track, "Ordinary People," is an exqusite account of pragmatic love in which the artist eschews the cheezy endings in movies and trite love songs in favor of the real work to be done and the difficult questions to answer in relationships. The realistic, almost plaintive lyrics here are accented by a movingly stripped-down piano accompaniment. "Stay With You," a track reminscent of the Gospel-tinged Soul of Curtis Mayfield with its sweeping organ, is an airy feel-good song about fidelity and commitment. "Live it Up," the album's final track ends the full-length debut on a good note, with a refreshing, restrained cameo from the sometimes annoyingly overpowering Miri Ben-Ari, the "hip hop violinist".
The CD, however, is marred by its unevenness as the artist tries, unsuccessfully, to satisfy traditional R&B audiences and Hip Hop audiences at the same time. While "She Don't Have to Know" (an older track) is a fresh flippant tale of a continuing infidelity, "Number 1" suffers because of its exagerrated attempts to indulge the player mentality/aesthetic. And many of the other songs, the title track included, feel like album filler, as the artist recyles stale parallels between marijuana/ spirituality with the love and affection of a woman.
All is not lost. This cd is a quality addition to any R&B fan's catalogue, if only for the uniqueness of this newcomer's sound. Next time around, maybe he'll make a firmer decision about which audience he hopes to entertain. While human nature is contradictory in itself, John's biggest problem is that he tries too hard to present them both, sacrificing authenticity along the way.
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