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Dec 8, 2010For the most part, it's easiest to enjoy Ne-Yo's fourth set of well-built love songs on their own merits.
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Dec 8, 2010With nearly as many producers as songs, Libra Scale, Ne-Yo's fourth album, nevertheless hangs together sonically-these tracks move more fully into the synth-drenched Europop sheen that typified the first half of Year.
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Dec 8, 2010The real "concept" here is: Michael Jackson tribute album. And a damn good one.
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Dec 8, 2010The level of sophistication--arrangements with subtle details, the frequency of slow tempos, a couple well-trodden motifs--lends itself to a couple tepid tunes, but Ne-Yo remains a premier source of R&B that is both traditional and contemporary.
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Dec 8, 2010If a little dominated by this trio [Champagne Life, One in a Million, Beautiful Monster] the rest of the album also develops the cool soul player theme nicely, with offers of mind sex and a considered approach in slick fusion.
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Dec 8, 2010Comic-book-style inspiration notwithstanding, Libra Scale is enjoyable, but doesn't consistently reach the heights of 2008's adventurous "Year of the Gentleman" or the peaks of his own stellar track record as a songwriter-for-hire to folks like Beyonce ("Irreplaceable") and Rihanna ("Take a Bow").
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Dec 8, 2010The only real slip-up on Libra Scale is when Ne-Yo moves just a little too far away from the R&B side and a little too far into the pop world....But even that low point isn't enough to taint another solid effort from a singer who doesn't really need trends, fads, collaborators or chart-topping hits anymore to prove that he belongs at the top of today's R&B world.
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Dec 8, 2010Libra Scale is a tighter, more sophisticated and compelling album that borrows not just MJ's swoony-smooth melodies, but also his taste for roleplay.
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Dec 8, 2010Ne-Yo's best songs--like "So Sick" from 2006 or "Closer" from 2008, which he doesn't outdo on Libra Scale--are driven by obsessive longing, not self-satisfaction. And halfway through the album the tone changes.
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Dec 8, 2010Ultimately, it's admirable that Ne-Yo felt the need to take listeners on an out-of-this-world ride, but he's at his best when sticking closer to home.
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Jan 13, 2011Libra Scale lacks the sparkle found in Ne-Yo's previous work. Much like "Champagne Life," there is still plenty to celebrate. Toast it up.
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Dec 8, 2010R&B concept album about binmen turned superheroes. Yup.
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Dec 8, 2010Musically, Ne-Yo spends most of his time here worshipping the throne of Michael Jackson ballads, which suits his falsetto crooning quite well. However, it's the handful of upbeat techno-influenced speaker-thumpers that stand out most, revealing his potential to be a much more versatile artist.
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Dec 8, 2010Despite Ne-Yo being absolutely serious about this--apparently, he spent three months alone developing the backstory--it doesn't feel markedly different from his first three albums. His strength remains his fluid melody-writing.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 14 out of 21
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Mixed: 5 out of 21
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Negative: 2 out of 21
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Jan 7, 2011
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Dec 17, 2010
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Nov 22, 2010