Trudoemkosti rabot gaz. Sonic Element - Paint The Blue (Deep Blue mix) [trancegeneration.com].mp3.

All That I Am 6. Soul Sista 11. When Will U Call 12. Queen Sanity 13. Love Poems 14. Second Child Riding in on a D'Angelo-spawned wave of shivery voodoo groove, 22-year-old Bilal Oliver tries to flip the neo-soul script on his long-awaited, oft-delayed debut.

It's an ambitious effort, a collection of 17 tracks on which this latest inductee into the Soulquarians collective (who's made appearances on Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Guru's Streetsoul, and produced tracks on Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun) proves he's worth his salt in hype. A host of A-list producers--Mike City, James Poyser, Dr. Dre (who rolls out a fine slice of funk on 'Fast Lane'), and the ubiquitous Raphael Saadiq (behind the slinky 'Soul Sista,' which first appeared on the Love and Basketball soundtrack)--provide backing tracks that show off the young singer-songwriter's depth and range. Equally at home in reggae riddims ('Home'), anguished balladry ('When Will You Call'), and carnivalesque, Busta Rhymes-style sardonics ('Sally'), Bilal wants to show us he can do it all, and winds up spreading himself a bit thin at times. The best moments on the album happen when the classically trained vocalist lands on solid, soulful hooks (as on the sweetly aching melody of 'All That I Am' or the haunting hum of 'Love Poems') that allow his limber pipes to swoop gorgeously from gravelly basso to full-bodied falsetto, evoking shades of Prince and Marvin Gaye along the way.

Though Philly crooner (Beloved, Intelligent, Lustful and Living It) cut his teeth working with and, many hip-hop heads will recognize him from his appearances on 's ('The 6th Sense') and 's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3 ('Certified'). While the title,, of 's debut bristles with oxymoronic implications, it is really a nod to the Soulquarian family that calls home.

Though is replete with a very discernible Soulquarian vibe, 's piercing voice (imagine on ecstasy) and soul-searching ballads prove that he is a deserving inductee to this musically advanced collective. He is bestowed with a dream team production ensemble (,?uestlove,,,,, and ), but it is his voice, itself an instrument, that is the main attraction here.

These vocal gifts are eminently displayed on the sugary, WNBA adopted anthem 'Soul Sista,' 'All That I Am,' and the introspective 'Sometimes,' where the artist does some self-reflecting over?uestlove's minimalist percussion snares and 's subtle keyboard riffs: 'I wish I wasn't me sometimes/I wish I was drug free sometimes.' Granted, occasionally falls prey to the moody musings and pleading romanticism ('For You') that marks the efforts of fellow neo-soul constituents like. However, 's ambidextrous nature, experimental inklings, and shape-shifting falsetto's foster a more diverse atmosphere, as he comfortably graces the funky and Scott Storch-produced 'Fast Lane' featuring, and waxes poetically about lost love on the -produced 'Reminisce' featuring.