By shelz.

Usher has always been a master of infusing enough personal truth into his music to get the masses emotionally investing and trying to guess how much of the music is truth. According to him, fan response is usually conjecture, but in reality they probably aren’t that far off. He tosses those nuggets on purpose, though. It’s part of his charm.

Confessions came around the tail end of his highly publicized split from Chili.  Raymond vs. Raymond, led by the smash single “Papers” appeared during his tumultuous divorce from his wife. Now we have Versus, an EP appended to Raymond vs. Raymond that is, hopefully, more fiction than reality.

The new songs included on the nine song release, rumored to be cast-offs from his last LP, are almost solely focused on casual carnal relations, usually grounded in the liquor and lights of club X.  “There Goes My Baby” and “Somebody to Love” stick out like sore thumbs in Usher’s need to flex his feelings of sexual entitlement.  Is this tawdry maneuvering a way to reincarnate his super sexy man persona that was lost in marriage and fatherhood? Betting people should definitely put their money on yes.

The EP starts with “Love Em All,” an ode to running through as many chicks as possible due to the burden of indecisiveness. The monotone sing-rap at the jump frames him as ice cold and ready to get back to the lover man business he left for a minute. Sparse thump, piano tinkering, a light drum reminiscent of a metronome frame the piece as a one man stroll through a harem.

The track for “DJ’s Got Us Fallin’ in Love Again” comes like a form letter anyone could have put together, but still serves its purpose.  A heavy bass foundation plays host to synth stabs that slash out the basic melody and big, dramatic electro strings. Dance like it’s the last night of your life? Sad club cliché only a bit less distressing than Pitbull’s feature, but this will work in the club.

“Hot Toddy” in this case is a blend of Usher, King Hov… copy? and Ester Dean.  More Illuminati rhetoric, Dean over-singing and Usher telling his piece du jour that he wants to skeet some off.  (People still say skeet?) It’s not a bad song, but beneath the level of the co-conspirators on this track.

The album moseys into “Lay You Down” which is a grand song in theory.  The pre-convert Prince inspiration floats through Usher’s delivery, which is as sexy and evocative as any other performance he’s ripped. The issue is the production, which employs a few too many unnecessary karaoke style-synth effects.

“Get in My Car,” an odd nod to Billy Ocean’s “Get Out of My Dreams,” with its minimalist thump and digitized horns, plays as sluggish beat making by Polow Da Don.   There are some awfully rude lyrics here. Usher wants to cut, but if you don’t hurry up with your decision, he’ll ask someone else. People still say cut? Bun B adds a lively feature, but he’s not dynamic enough to overcome the soggy production.

A momentary flag is thrown on all that filth flarn flarn filth with Justin Bieber’s out of place “Somebody to Love.” You know the song.  No need to elaborate except to say this song ruins the moment almost as much as mom walking in on you would.

“Stranger” closes this shindig out, and it shouldn’t have.  More electro blips and bleeps with strangely incorporated percussion and vocal layers upon layers to cover up the fact there isn’t much track there.  The song should have been left on the cutting room floor… again.

Keep your eyes peeled ladies.  If this release is any indication of what is going on in Mr. Raymond’s life right now, he is hot and on the prowl.  You might get a little rude boy nookie, but the chances of you enjoying the entirety of the soundtrack to your encounter are about as good as him making breakfast for you the morning after.

Out of 5

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