Street Love

Lloyd

On Street Love, Lloyd packs in the urban-tough reputation he was going for on 2004's Southside and becomes, unmistakably, a sweetie. His heart beats for two on "Valentine." He whispers candy-coated nothings on the title track. And by the time we're nine songs in, the man has sunk, love-scorched, to his knees. Which turns out to be a pretty great position for him to make a record from, actually. Lloyd's shift to the soft side on this well-executed sophomore set will cause the inevitable comparisons to the reigning king of all R&B love-song crooners, Usher. But it shouldn't. Mr. Polite, as the well-acquainted call him, is a different sort of singer entirely: sub out the realistic, realtionshippy lyrics for something sensational, and he could be Michael Jackson. That he chooses to hang his songs on relatable scenes (like "Killing Me," at the club) gives us a glimmer of what a street-loving, lady-killing Michael might have sounded like. And then the disc adds a little more: the soul-leaning joint "Hazel" hints at stylistic leaps to come, and "I Want You (remix)," with Andre 3000 and Nas, is as satisfying a kicker as we've seen in 2007. --Tammy La Gorce

Street Love Album: