Year of the Gentleman

Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Beyond its genuine lyrics, GENTLEMAN also proves that Ne-Yo is a brilliant pop omnivore, gifted with a silky voice and an ability to pull everything from the Beatles to Stevie Wonder to clubland synths under his sonic umbrella." Entertainment Weekly - "[T]he 28-year-old Southerner with the Michael Jackson falsetto not only wears his heart on his sleeve, he lets it bleed down his cuff..." Grade: B+ XXL - "Ne-Yo excels with his heartfelt lyrics, but tear-jerking moments are not all he has in his arsenal..." Rolling Stone - Ranked #33 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "[B]ringing harmonically rich songcraft back to hip-hop soul..." Rolling Stone (p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Beyond its genuine lyrics, GENTLEMAN also proves that Ne-Yo is a brilliant pop omnivore, gifted with a silky voice and an ability to pull everything from the Beatles to Stevie Wonder to clubland synths under his sonic umbrella." Rolling Stone (p.92) - Ranked #33 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "[B]ringing harmonically rich songcraft back to hip-hop soul..." Entertainment Weekly (p.73) - "[T]he 28-year-old Southerner with the Michael Jackson falsetto not only wears his heart on his sleeve, he lets it bleed down his cuff..." Grade: B+ XXL (Magazine) (p.121) - "Ne-Yo excels with his heartfelt lyrics, but tear-jerking moments are not all he has in his arsenal..."

'The Year Of The Gentleman' is the third studio album by RnB star Ne-Yo. Following on from his Grammy Award winning album 'Because Of You', Ne-Yo shows off a more mature persona. Referencing the iconic look and style of the 'Rat Pack' makes this album a cut above your average RnB record. Slick and smooth vocals combine with sophisticated beats, highlighting Ne-Yo's extraordinary talent and class. Includes the Stargate produced electro-tinged single 'Closer'.|

昨今のR&Bをよりポピュラーな方向へと導いた立役者といえばニーヨだろう。4つ打ちのハウシーなリード曲“Closer”を初めて耳にした時は少々驚いたが、〈誰が聴いても心地良い作品〉と本人も語るように、待望のサード・アルバムは1枚をとおして聴きたくなる好感度の高い仕上がりとなった。スターゲイトとの最強タッグで送るアイランド・フレイヴァーの美メロ・ダンサー“Miss Independent”やアコースティックな“Back To What You Know”は聴けばすぐに愛着の湧く雰囲気だし、ニュー・キッズ・オン・ザ・ブロックの復活作に提供した“Single”のセルフ版も良い出来。中盤以降は穏やかなミディアムが並び、〈R&Bの品格を取り戻す〉という思いが誠実に表現されている。誰もが心惹かれるであろう大作だ。
bounce (C)池田 貴洋