Music

BSomething Else

Star Trak/Interscope

MAGICAL EVOLUTION: Although 2003's Beautiful World established Robin Thicke as a talented vocalist and songwriter, it was 2006's Evolution of Robin Thicke, featuring the inescapable "Lost Without U," that solidified his stance as a genuine blue-eyed soul man. Something Else retains the plush feel of Evolution without being bogged down in too many tracks, guest appearances or style shifts.

MR. HARMONY: Sleek and replete with his fluttering falsetto, Something combines swaying, syncopated '70s-style rhythms with crisp, modern edges: "You're My Baby" is a breathless "Lost Without U" sequel, and "Sidestep" demands respect with its urgent up-tempo groove. The Marvin Gaye-influenced "Dreamworld" threads societal observations with a lofty wish list: "There would be no black or white/the world would just treat my wife right." "Cry No More" is a billowy ballad about no longer playing somebody's love-struck fool.

BOTTOM LINE: Except for the energetic but ill-fitting "Hard on My Love" and the nonessential Lil Wayne track, "Tie My Hands," Mr. Thicke succeeds in giving Something Else worthy to his fans. Lorrie Irby Jackson

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