Usher

Usher 8701

CAD $14.98
Suggested Retail Price:
CAD $18.98 each

Usher has the reputation as a loverman, largely because he fits the bill so well. He looks good, his material is smooth and seductive, and he has a nice voice, even if he tends to favor miasma. This has been true throughout his career, and remains true on his third album, 8701, a classy, seductive affair masterminded by Usher, Jermaine Dupri, and Antonio L.A. Reid. There`s not much new here, but Usher does move further in both directions � the ballads are lusher, the dance numbers hit a bit harder � but not so much so that it`s really noticeable. Overall, the record is probably his strongest yet, but he still suffers from a lack of really memorable material (the singles usually are pretty good, but the album tracks are filler) and a tendency to oversing. Because of these two things, 8701 is more mood music than anything else, and while it does work fairly well on that level, it`s not memorable outside of that mood. � Stephen Thomas Erlewine