Musiq Soulchild MUSIQINTHEMAGIQ

Audio Mixer: Glen Marchese.
Recording information: Carrington House Studios, Atlanta, GA; Crib Zeno, Atlanta, GA; Platinum Sound Recording Studio, New York, NY.
Illustrators: Nick Bilardello; Masa.
Photographer: Sheryl Nields.
For his sixth album's lead single, Musiq went back to his "club 1981" playlist, where he pulled Taana Gardner's "Heartbeat" for the basis of "B.U.D.D.Y." -- a 2007 Top 40 single -- and picks "Walking into Sunshine." "Anything" replays much of the Central Line classic, with Musiq delivering another one of his feel-good, relatively wholesome spring/summer R&B radio hits. It sets the tone for Musiqinthemagiq, which does not stray far from Musiq's past but features some developments, such as the singer's increased comfort with falsetto deployment ("Sayido," "Waitingstill") and a charming mid-'60s soul throwback ("Love Contract"). There's also something of a successor to "Sobeautiful," the equally hypnotic and chivalrous "Medicine." At the very end, Musiq buries a thoroughly modern gem featuring a spacy, irregular beat from Jesse Wilson and the Kaliphat. That song, "Likethesun," is a brilliant and unexpected change-up where Musiq also provides one of his best vocals, dipping beneath and vaulting above the stop-start percussion patterns and swarming synthesizers. He should consider doing that type of thing more often. ~ Andy Kellman

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop