Sex Love & Pain II＜限定盤＞

Tank's seventh album is presented as a sequel to his third one. Released in 2007, Sex Love & Pain debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, was his second album to top the R&B chart, and received a Grammy nomination. When albums are connected to past triumphs, they tend to be last-gasp attempts at regaining relevance, but the singer hadn't experienced a commercial decline prior to the release of Sex Love & Pain II. B.A.M. and Tank, rather than primary Sex Love & Pain collaborators the Underdogs, produced most of these tracks, so this is no nostalgia trip. While there are some instances where Tank is either longing for his woman or seeking repentance, the bulk of the album regards its title's first word. Tank's armed with another bunch of sleek slow-jam productions to complement his libidinous verses and, more than ever, his name is representative of his lyrical subtlety as much as his build ("Make your face my chair, leaking everywhere," etc.). He's still targeting teen and young adult listeners with material that falls in line with commercial R&B radio playlists. On "#BDAY," which features three guests who range from 12 to 17 years younger than him, he declares "I just want to help you celebrate," then offers a series of directions that includes "Put them candles down and get to the cake" and "Show me that it's real." "Relationship Goals," featuring one of the album's better slinking productions, is as single-minded, though it's more about giving than "BDAY," with "How about we start with my tongue from the waist down?" and promises to "beat it up." Throughout, Tank's voice is as strong as ever. ~ Andy Kellman

TGTではタキシードを羽織って紳士的に振る舞い、前ソロ作『Stronger』ではレトロ感に合わせてシックなスーツを纏っていたタンク。それらの反動かのように、1年半ぶりの新作では背中(の筋肉)で語るジャケットで、まずは己の肉感的なソウルネスを誇示する。しかもタイトルが2007年の傑作『Sex Love & Pain』の第2弾ときては期待せずにいられない。その表題を歌詞に織り込んだ冒頭の"SLP2"ではジョデシィのような曲調に情熱的な歌を響かせ、先行曲"You Don't Know"ではパティ・ラベルの名曲を悩ましいファルセットで歌い込み、ボーイズIIメンのショーン・ストックマンを迎えた"Already In Love"は大人の魅力ムンムン。アンダードッグズら馴染みの制作陣を迎えて性、愛、痛みをテーマに歌う好曲だらけの内容は、〈タンクらしさ〉に対して自覚的になって作り上げたと思しき世界観だ。オーセンティックでストロングな彼の持ち味を存分に味わえる快作。
bounce (C)池谷昌之