Sexuality is something that can be a bit of a touchy subject in music, especially in today's more unfiltered time of parental advisory stickers, shock value obsession, and simultaneous compulsion toward taking the edge out of music. Depending on the type of artist you are, you may have to be titillating enough in order to stimulate but never cross into sleazy territory or you may have to go so over-the-top that anything less than a certain level would be unacceptable.

Fortunately, Virginia-born J Holiday plants his feet firmly in the first category and never loses any ground. One of the more suggestive of the bunch, the slightly autotuned Make That Sound, has the kind of pheromone-laced vocals and steamy melody that suits Holiday's pleasant-but-unremarkable presence. He seems to shine on the more masculine come ons, relishing the soft plod of the bass and slow grind of the production. Moderately successful first single It's Yours may be a bit of a sound retread, harkening back to his breakthrough Bed, but it manages to find its own lane, a more-romantic-than-you-think-it-is piano-heavy tale of devotion. The song has enough edge to it to avoid the "cornball" trap that singers of his ilk shun, the breakdown section full of solid ad libs and some impressive energy. Less impressive is album closer I Tried, one of the tracks that does away with Holiday's velvet-y playboy schtick and dabbles in other musical pools. With a bit more aggression, thanks to more proactive production and a growling electric guitar, it has some grit to it; lyrically, it may be the same Keith Sweat-ish ooh-baby-please-stay-please-baby-baby blueprint that still is emulated today, but it keeps the theme of the album going.
 
Fly has the appropriate touches of bittersweet resignation at the end of a relationship; you feel the conflict, the acceptance in Holiday's pensive vocals, soaring (sorry, I had to) on the freeing hook. The misty verses, raw hook, and surprisingly in touch lyrical approach make this one of the unexpected pleasures of the album. Currently going through the situation described in the lyrics, it has a lot of comfort packed into it. Forever Ain't Enough takes on a more traditional piano ballad structure, sparse verses gradually building to a sky reaching climax. Though it has some solid vocal layering, it points to the fact that Holiday's voice isn't strong enough to handle this type material; he has a nice voice, but it's more subdued and atmospheric than powerful and capable of blowing the roof off a song. It's a nice try and a needed change of tempo, but it falls just short of being a hit.
 
Sing 2 U took a little bit of a different approach than I had anticipated based on reading the title, but it went in a very intriguing direction. Instead of talking up his bedroom game or setting up a heated encounter, Holiday asks his prospective lover if he can sing to her, name checking/referencing songs from Usher, The Dream, Marvin Gaye, and R Kelly, just to name a few. It's a self-aware, subtle nod to the power of music and the almighty mixtape, as well as taking the classy way. Wrong Lover features the only guest on the album in Miami "bawse" Rick Ross and keeps the composure of the rest of the record with head nodding ease. Instead of being the type of snotty or vindictive kiss-off that Holiday's female contemporaries fall into sometimes, it's a confident, strolling midtempo that plays to his strengths. Ross doesn't offer much of substance, of course, but his husky lothario verse vibes well with Holiday's tender cooing and the subtle bounce of the track. While Homeless has good intentions, it fails to deliver with good results. A little self-indulgent and a whole lot preachy, this just doesn't seem very genuine and takes on a defensive tone in how it presents the age old "appreciate what you have" lesson. The production is a little messy, not sure if it wants to be a soaring electric guitar anthem or a low key ballad. Execution is more the name of the game here; Holiday could have made a stirring look at urban life and what it really means to be "street" but it comes off as more of a "look at me, I'm sensitive, hold me" type of gobbledygook.
 
Complete with a more sophisticated style of dress and cohesive production, J Holiday has shown tremendous growth as an artist in a matter of a couple of years. Going from emphasizing drug use and talking about pimp commandments to promising more than forever and singing to you is quite a leap, but he pulls it off seamlessly, the nonthreatening slightly bad boy who could charm the pants off you. Literally. While the album may run together at times or come off a bit preachy, for the most part it's a well put together collection of slow jams that is appropriate for your most intimate of moments. Here's hoping that Holiday's third record goes for the knock out punch and sets him up for a deservedly solid career to come.
 
Tracklisting:
Intro
It's Yours
Fall
Don't Go
Wrong Lover featuring Rick Ross
Run Into My Arms
Sing 2 U
Lights Go Out
Make That Sound
Forever Ain't Enough
Fly
Homeless
I Tried

Recommended: Yes