#Gerald levert in my songs album full#

There’s a lot to be said about not straying from what you do well, but there are several songs on this album that are completely indistinguishable from just about every other Gerald LeVert song on every other Gerald LeVert album.

The fact that R&B fans are so accustomed to the Gerald LeVert “sound” is probably why this album isn’t perfect. It’s to LeVert’s credit that he’s able to take all these sounds loosely associated with other artists and wrap them all together in his own sound. Examples of this would be the synth-heavy “What’Cha Think About That”, which has a mild resemblance to the recent work of Timberlake & Timbaland, “To My Head” is a breezy semi-ballad reminiscent of Ne-Yo’s “So Sick”, and the excellent “M’Lady” goes for the sped-up soul sample trick that producers like Kanye West have practically trademarked. You can hear LeVert fiddling with formulas that worked for other R&B hits during the period this album was recorded, but it never sounds like thievery. I can see lots and lots of babies being born from this song, folks. On the other side of the coin, “Is This the Way To Heaven?” is a stunningly seductive slow jam. It’s one of those songs that makes me smile in recognition. The song perfectly conveys the release you feel at the end of a long work week when you just want to have a drink and shake your ass. The tempo picks up a few tracks later for the gently bumping, “DJ Don’t”. It’s a more fully realized version of what fellow deceased soul legend Luther Vandross sung about on bittersweet tunes like “Any Love”. Gerald conveys that pain and disappointment with precision detail.

LeVert definitely lets his guard down on the title song, a slow, swaying number on which he admits that he’s still looking for the type of love he sings about to thousands of adoring couples. Most of the tracks on this album are testimonials to love and fidelity, as well as the everyday issues that come up in relationships. He had a hand in co-writing and co-producing every song here. What amazes more than the voice though, is hiss creative dedication to this and all of his projects. Like his dad, the younger LeVert knew when to deliver a subtle caress or a hearty shout, and could even float into a pretty falsetto when he wanted to. It’s the same meat-and-potatoes R&B he’d been serving his public for two decades. In My Songs finds LeVert far from reinventing the wheel. The music here takes on an added poignancy when you realize that it’s the last album of new material you will hear from him.

#Gerald levert in my songs album full#

“In My Songs” is not a tribute, or a quickly cobbled together collection of outtakes it’s a full album of new material the singer had just completed when he passed.

Sadly, that voice was silenced last summer when LeVert unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 40. No bells and whistles, just well-crafted songs topped off by that meaty, soulful voice. For almost a decade, usually once a year, Gerald (whether as 1/3 of LeVert, 1/3 of LSG, recording with his dad, the O’Jays’ Eddie LeVert or solo) put out an album of what we affectionately call “grown folks music”. You know that guy at work who’s been at the job for 20 years, doesn’t say much, but puts in an honest effort every day and rarely calls in sick? Gerald LeVert was the R&B world’s version of that guy.