From the same school of jazzy r'n'b as D'Angelo and Jill Scott, and brought up on a strict diet of Donnie Hathaway, Sly Stone and Stevie Wonder, Musiq Soulchild's debut album, Aijuswanaseing, is as steeped in classic soul as it is languid hip hop. Blessed with a rich voice that's pure seduction, the Philadelphia resident's smooth soul blend is also unequivocally dedicated to love. With the slow grooving romance of "143" and "Settle For My Love" (pure Stevie Wonder circa Songs In The Key Of Life), he delivers his hearts and flowers with cool sophistication, deftly avoiding r'n'b mush. With the R Kelly-styled "Poparatzi" and "You And Me", he's not quite so skilful, but it's his D'Angelo moments- when he blends a rootsy Sly Stone strut with the laziest of hip hop break beats- as with "L Is Gone", "Speechless" and the exceptional lazy jazz-funker "Just Friends (Sunny)- that Aijuswanaseing is a supreme debut. Hugely derivative as Musiq Soulchild's sound might be, when tracks are as soulful and sexy as this, it's not even an issue. -- Mark Daniels
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