John Legend - "Get Lifted"GOOD Records, 2004) - * * *

Concept albums have always been a tricky thing.

Some, on multiple listens, manage to survive the supposed curse that rests on the artist's hubris in expecting casual listeners to want to listen to the album as a whole. Some fall under the weight of the artist's pretensions. John Legend's debut for Kanye West's label falls somewhere in between.

The album, which follows a nameless man through a relationship which collapses due to his cheating ways. He then finds his way back to the good side, and spends the second half of the album talking to his lover about how much he's changed, and how he hopes their love can find a way. It's a nice attempt, really; the album is well constructed, and many of the Kanye West-produced tracks ("Used To Love U" and "Alright") are clearly aimed at a radio audience and rightly so. And other more introspective tracks, particularly the Legend-produced "It Don't Have To Change", which beautifully evokes his r&b music's gospel background, suggest that John Legend may have a lot more depth than many of his modern soul counterparts.

But "Get Lifted" only works as a whole for a few listens, and then one can't help but focus on the standout tracks. But there's plenty of room for growth, and if Legend has his way, he'll be remembered twenty years from now as a true gem in the history of the new Soul revival.

John Legend - "Used To Love U"
John Legend - "Alright"
John Legend - "It Don't Have To Change"