Ne-Yo is part of a new generation of R&B; stars
who came up through the songwriting ranks, scoring hit after hit for other
artists before recording their own material. Songwriters-turned-singers like
John Legend, Robin Thicke, and Ne-Yo are so slick, appealing, and photogenic
that it's hard to imagine why they weren't pushed into the spotlight in the
first place. Alas, Ne-Yo can be a little too slick, as the title of his third
album, Year Of The Gentleman, attests. Too much of the disc falls lazily into
the template that made Ne-Yo a star: yearning vocals, romantic lyrics, sleepy
tempos, tasteful acoustic guitar plucking or piano tinkling, and an aversion to
anything too rocking or quirky. Still, Ne-Yo manages a few inspired variations
on this formula: His ethereal falsetto channels Michael Jackson as he sings of
romantic rapture on "Stop This World," while "Nobody" suggests Pharrell's
periodic forays into disco. But with his latest, Ne-Yo's winning groove
devolves into a rut, and his quiet storm gets awfully sleepy.
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