The UrbanWire

Smooth. That’s what sums up in a word the latest album by multi-Grammy Award winner, Usher.

Here I Stand features a brand new list of 16 tracks that is bound to keep you coming back for more to get your R&B fix.

Waxing Lyrical

Spanning slightly over an hour, Usher’s latest album, Here I Stand holds quite a few good numbers with tracks like “Moving Mountains“, “What’s Your Name” and the hit singles “Love in This Club“, which topped the charts on its digital release on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Love in This Club Part 2“, which peaked at number 18 on the same chart.

Themes of heartbreak and love weave a potent lyrical latticework in tandem with the rhythm of the music. The soulful voice of the artiste captures the essence of the songs, painting the scenes before eyes. The effect is haunting. Melody and lyrics  ensnare the soul with tendrils of emotion that enthral one to keep listening track after track.

“I lost my way, she said she’d stay. And lately I’ve been sleeping with a ghost. My stock is down and out, I used to be worth my weight in gold” Usher sings in “Moving Mountains“.

In addition, Usher throws in a healthy dash of attitude with “His Mistake” giving vent to his frustration and indignation at having to pay for the ex-boyfriend’s mistake in his present relationship, and making it clear that he won’t stand for it.

The songs can sometimes take on a subtle melancholic hue, without descending to an overly tragic feel. Instead, they leave the listener with an empathy of the vocalist’s plight.

Smooth As Silk

Some pieces begin with smooth relaxed piano, swirling around the listener to build a chilled-out blues mood, before drum and bass diffuse into the interludes and main parts of the song, accompanying the snappy lyrics and taking centrestage.

Electronica is featured prominently in almost all tracks, often in the main body of of the song. While snippets of spoken dialogue underscore some of the tracks, they never feel out of place.

In “Love in this Club“, electronica and spoken dialogue impart a sense of realism to the scene and contribute to a club-esque feel.

Scenes unfold before you as the tracks wear on, lyrical harmony and melody bearing you away in its flow, as if you are the unseen confidant, privy to the struggles and life of the artiste.

Overall, the album does have a good mix of tracks with a subtle relaxed mood and those with a more upbeat feel.

Verdict

Not unlike its title, this album certainly stands out as one of the hottest R&B albums that stores will see on their shelves this year.

Ardent fans of Usher won’t  be disappointed with this much-anticipated showing. The tracks take on a more mature soulful touch this time, without sacrificing the other R&B tunes.

With smooth sounds and even smoother lyrics, the album is sure to be a permanent fixture in your song library for the next couple of months. A must get for the ardent R&B junkie.

UrbanWire gives Here I Stand 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.