Robin Thicke - Love After War [2CD Deluxe Edition] (2011)

One of the more compelling and original-sounding singers of modern-day R&B, Robin Thicke has transitioned into a highly respected soul superstar. He's also an in-demand songwriter and producer, working with artists as diverse as Jennifer Hudson and 50 Cent. Love After War is his fifth studio album, and it finds the Canadian crooner doing what he does best: serving up slick and seductive jams primarily about ladies, love, loss, and lust. The first half is more upbeat, with big horn arrangements, faster BPMs, and high-octane vocals, especially on the synth-laced "I'm an Animal" and the instantly likable, righteously optimistic anthem "The New Generation." The title track is a subtle nod to Marvin Gaye's classic "After the Dance." The album's second half is generally mellower, slower, and more sensitive, with smooth guitar-laced joints like "Cloud 9" and "Full Time Believer." Where his last LP (Sex Therapy) was loaded with features, this has only one: longtime homie Lil Wayne shines on the single "Pretty Lil' Heart."