JULIS NAVARRO
Staff Writer
Raheem DeVaughn proves that love really does exist behind the melody — his melody, at least.
Every song on his sophomore album, “Love Behind the Melody,” displays the ongoing love affair DeVaughn has with his music. Even though the album is less than groundbreaking, DeVaughn manages to quickly draw his listeners in to appreciate his “neo-soul” style.
With thoughtful lyrics and smooth vocals, this talented R&B artist’s sound comes off almost like a male version of Alicia Keys.
On the first track of the album, DeVaughn proclaims himself an “R&B-hippie-neosoul-rock star.” Regardless of his chosen title, the album delivers numerous musical wonders, including the single “Woman,” which received a Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance. DeVaughn’s music is altogether a noble dedication to women everywhere, evidence of which can be found in “Woman,” a sweet song of gratitude.
It seems appropriate that DeVaughn is descended from musical roots. Raised in Maryland, DeVaughn is the son of jazz cellist Abdul Wadad. DeVaughn began his career after winning a local talent show in a Washington D.C. night club. The cash prize he won allowedhim to initiate a series of independent releases, eventually sparking interest and a record deal with Jive Records.
In June 2005, DeVaughn released his first album, “The Love Experience,” which peaked within the Top 50 of Billboard’s 200 album chart. Although “The Love Experience” only produced two hits, “You” and “Guess Who Loves You More,” perhaps the maturity of his current album will jolt him to full-blown stardom. Some of the most notable tracks of “Love Behind the Melody” are “Energy,” “Friday,” and “Butterflies.”
“Energy” is a mellow track featuring Big Boi of Outkast, reminiscent of Gnarls Barkley’s contagious song “Crazy.” Meanwhile, “Friday” diverges from the album’s underlying calm into an energetic, Motown style that samples from The Temptations’ hit “My Girl.”
The album also includes collaborations with female duo Floetry in the track “Marathon” and rapper Too $hort in “Rich Girls.”
One of the strongest aspects of “Love Behind the Melody” is the live instrumentation found in many of the songs.
Without the processed feel of digitalized music, the live instrumentation provides an authentic and organic feel to compliment DeVaughn’s grooving vocals. Listeners will find themselves subconsciously nodding in sync to DeVaughn’s music.
Of course, the album has its faults. With 18 tracks, “Love Behind the Melody” is bound to have some generic-sounding songs. These include the slow and unmemorable “She’s Not You” and the despairing, synthetic “Empty.”
Another song that falls flat is “Customer,” in which DeVaughn refers to his love as a customer. It might be bearable without the corny lyrics, but DeVaughn sings ridiculous phrases such as, “I’m the catch of the day, your dessert, your meal and your drink … if your heart is hungry, you can place your order here with me.”
Although not quite “rock star” nor “hippie,” DeVaughn knows his R&B, and his album collectively showcases his groomed talent.
Despite the few bumps here and there, “Love Behind the Melody” shines with DeVaughn’s effortless vocals and apparent passion for music. “Some people make music for a moment, I make music for a lifetime,” he boasts. Maybe it’s time people take notice of this underrated artist, because if those proud lyrics mean anything, DeVaughn will be around for a while.
01-24-2008
