::ALBUM REVIEW::

With a voice so interestingly connected with modern soul icon John Legend, J.R. has the all the right stuff to go secular. But his uncompromising passion and faith in Jesus Christ remains thick as blood - a bold testimony easily examined on his sophomore project, Life By Stereo, on the commanding holy hip-hop gospel label Cross Movement Records. His 2006 debut, Metamorphosis revealed an urban-pop newcomer with connections to sweet contemporary R&B deliveries. On Life By Stereo, things goes wayward artistically as the singer digs into the urban market for sounds that are similarly compatible with Kanye West, Outkast and the Neptunes. And with a little pop/rock thrown in, the album feels like a lunch bag full of unseen predicablity. But that's no so much of a bad thing - versatility is the name of the popular game and knowing how to market it and brand it is the prize money. J.R. does a good job in jumping on the new grooves, even though his voice is so pure and raw that it really doesn't need all the big drum-programmed beats and gimmicks the big superstars bear.

The beats are still attention-getters - proven on the mix breeding sounds of Omarion and Justin Timberlake on tracks like "Rock Star." Remember Outkast's "Hey Ya" - a good dose of "Not A Slave" is easily one of the most flattery follow-ups of that fun, catchy rhythm. Lyrically, the song works as J.R. exposes his withdrawal from Satan's evil grips and announces his freedom in Christ. "OK" - borrowing a sample from Harold Melvin's "The Love I Lost" - feels so much like Kanye West's creation of John Legend's "Number One" that it seems as if producer Courtney Pebbles took a page from West's thick play book. Cool club-laden grooves on "Tonight" and "You Chose Me" along with the hip-hop bounce attached to thick raps from labelmate Da' T.R.U.T.H. and Trip Lee on "Ridaz" keep the first installment of the album on listener's edge. The latter, while big on rhythm and bass, is an upset for J.R. since the rappers dominate the entire track and turns the singer into a background vocalist.

But it is towards the back of the disc where J.R. relies on his modern R&B and contemporary soul roots. "Getaway," with all of J.R's crooning infections, is a delicate breezy short offering stringing together new-age jazz and soul. Capturing John Legend's sexy soul appeal, J.R. delivers an engaging vocal on a full acoustic arrangement on "Words of Life." With Clay Sears' guitar and organ add-ins and Jason Coleman's drum work providing the song's soulful heartbeat, the song blossoms as one of the album's obvious strengths. Songs like "Say Yeah" and "Your Word" does a marvelous job in continuing in the refreshing vein of Will.i.am's soul production without sounding like a total rip-off. His mature vocals feels nice on the sophisticated R&B sounds and keeps J.R's traditional fan base at ease.

It is possible to suggest that Life By Stereo is, at first listen, an eclectic, adventurous attempt to stay diverse in the ever-changing world of urban music. And as gospel music opens up its arms to embrace various worlds of culture, the production of today's albums will continue to sound like a big mix of unpredictable sounds. J.R. does a fine job in being inventive without sounding anxious or nervous for attention - it really sounds like he's content being a singer with a grown-up voice playing with new sounds. But it is clear - an obvious fact - that J.R.'s voice is clearly soul and he should never forsake that well-documented truth. Let's hope he will take more risks to put more of the cool, silky-soul R&B towards the front of the disc - or at least spreading it out equally across the album. It's also interesting to note that J.R. is the only non-rapper on the label. Just knowing their interest in contemporary soul and R&B is worthy of a Nobel Peace prize. But the toughest point of observation lies upon J.R's image - he has spiky hair, looks like a cross of a rapper and a punk rocker and wears throughout the album's photography a regular tee and jeans. One listen to the golden voice - infused with Marvin Gaye's sweet falsettos and John Legend's vocal swagger and you would expect so much more from the label's choice of marketing. Still, Life By Stereo is an assured tidal wave of modern "get-your-swerve-on" beats and soulful crooning led by a smart drive towards artistic expression.