By Fawn Renee

R&B has so many forms and meanings today. From a simple songwriting perspective, the gender roles have been skewed; grown men are not only singing to and for women, but are doing so, often times, from a woman’s perspective. Not a bad career move, since women are the primary consumers of music, but where are the real men who sing about love and life from a male’s point of view? That’s what music is missing.

Enter Jaheim Hoagland. When we first experienced Jaheim’s soulful bass voice back in 2001, it almost felt nostalgic. Not only did he sound like a grown man, but he sang about things grown men experiences, genuinely. His debut album Ghetto Love and his sophomore effort Still Ghetto instantly set him apart from his peers, and reached platinum status as a result; thanks in large part to his friend and, then, label-head Jaygee (formerly of Naughty by Nature). Since signing with Atlantic in 2007, the singer’s content has become a bit more generic, but the soul of it is still front and center, which is evident on his fifth studio album Another Round.

For his latest album, likely at the advisement of the good folks at the big label, Jaheim worked with a squad of writers and producers, including J.R. Rotem, Balewa Muhammad, and partner Kaygee. As usual, there’s nothing ostentatious about Another Round, just heartfelt soul music with a reach back, pull forward approach. The album’s lead single, “Ain’t Leavin’ Without You” is the average “guy sees girl, guy takes girl home” story with an in-the-pocket groove and adult appeal, evident by the mere fact that the single gets more airplay on smooth jazz and R&B stations than it does on contemporary R&B/Hip-Hop stations. While some of the sheep reading this may think that’s a sign of failure, music lovers will appreciate the fact that the 32 year-old man is rightfully categorized with other adults in his genre and not merely decimating his craft to be interchangeable with the Chris Brown’s and Usher’s of the world. The remix offers something for the mature Hip-Hop lover as well, as he once again enlists the help of long-time friend, and frequent collaborator, Jadakiss.

The album’s next single, and namesake, “Another Round” is a radio-friendly hit, but a low point for Jaheim as an artist. Here we see the pressure of conformity in its truest form. The beat knocks, courtesy of production collective The Clutch, and Jaheim’s voice hasn’t lost its sultriness, but songs about liquor, drinking, clubs and sex are about as original as Nicki Minaj.

“Whoa” is one of the highlights out of the 13 tracks. Here we hear Jaheim struggle with the words to describe the feeling a man feels when he has found all he’s looking for in a woman. He sings, “Shorty got me singing with the love she’s bringin’. She got my melody something like whoa.” It’s a great song with a relaxing vibe and the kind of throwback, charismatic vocals that have garnered him comparisons to the late Luther Vandross and Teddy Pendergrass.

The album’s peak is found five songs in with “Bed Is Listening.” The song addresses a common complaint men have with women sharing their relationship woes with family and friends, instead of their significant other. Jaheim pleads, “The next time you get the urge to pick up the phone/ to let everybody know that I know I did you wrong/ let it wait, wait until I get home/to tell the bed your condition/the bed is listening/imagine for a minute/the bed is listening.” The vocal arrangement is beautiful, comparable to the arrangements found on much of singer/songwriter Ne-Yo’s work, and Jaheim’s voice has never sounded more sincere.

Jaheim’s a young man with an old soul. It’s refreshing to know that his full, warm voice, which gets more mature with each album, still takes center stage when it comes to his work. He carries most of the vocal work single-handedly on this album, with no guest vocalist to compete with or lean on; and does so effortlessly. So sit back, relax and order Another Round as Jaheim continues to flirt with the ghosts of R&B past and R&B present. If he continues down this path, his future looks rather bright.\

out of 5

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