Critic Reviews
| 100 |
E! Online
Maxwell's latest finds the steady and seductive soul-provider drawing more from the class of Marvin Gaye than the trash of R. Kelly--with a touch of spirituality thrown in.
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| 91 |
Entertainment Weekly
As mellowed-out as much of ''Now'' is, it's definitely not aural wallpaper, but a cohesive effort that rewards repeated listenings -- a veritable slow jam-boree.
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| 80 |
Village Voice
Maxwell continues to delve into the sensuality that drove 1996's spacious Urban Hang Suite as well as '97's often over-decorated Embrya, but with a newly pared-back attack. He's in top-notch voice...
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| 80 |
Sonicnet
Now is Maxwell's best album, because he's learned that while soul can be suggested by a good groove, it really lives in a song.
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| 80 |
CDNow
When Maxwell sings songs cultivated to melt a girl's heart ("Silently"), it sounds more like grand, fervent gospel than a cheap, fevered move.
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| 80 |
Billboard
This album leaves little doubt that when it comes to expressing the joys and heartbreak of life, few R&B singers do it as gracefully as Maxwell.
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| 80 |
PopMatters
It should stand up as one of the most accomplished R&B recordings of this year, but one that is not emblematic of the artistic growth that Embrya suggested.
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| 60 |
Dot Music
But for all its stylish exuberance, 'Now' is an album full of wonderful sounds that's lamentably thin on songs.
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| 60 |
Rolling Stone
This third full-length album continues to mine past gold, integrate rock and jazz elements, and work Maxwell's beautifully supple vocals around old-school styles.
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| 60 |
Q Magazine
A much more focused and funky set than Embrya. [Oct 2001, p.127]
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