Good Morning (Intro)
The birds sing, Legend yawns and the piano and soft brass start a new day. John turns over to whisper 'Good Morning' into the ear of his lover and how he has been waiting all night long, just to do this.
Green Light feat. Andre 3000
Given the acapella start and Legend's form, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is going to be a ballad. The guest artist and breathing noises that he makes over this hint that this will not be the case, which it most certainly is not. Pure Andre 3000, the beat is quick, although the vocal remains slow. John is asking a lady to give him the Green Light so that they can get together. He sings that she would be his only partner and that he is 'Ready To Go Right Now'. Andre 3000 raps over the chorus, confirming that all signs seem to be pointing in the right direction and that if he were her, he would go home with himself. This is like nothing John Legend has done before and he shows that he can turn out a dance track as well as soulful classics and love songs.
It's Over feat. Kayne West
The title gives away the subject for this collaboration with Kayne West. John asks why he keeps calling the girl with whom it is over and answers that he guesses that he is just used to getting his own way, he's spoiled. This refreshing lyric makes this song, which is upbeat, despite being about saying goodbye to all of the things that he enjoyed about the relationship. Kayne's rap is distorted with auto tune, stuttered and overshadowed by John Legend himself; who sounds as good as ever. This will get you moving.
Everybody Knows
The acoustic guitar and drums set a mid tempo over which Legend sings a low vocal, rising to falsetto in places. The lyric is that Everybody Knows that nobody really knows how to make love work. The song bouces along nicely.
Quickly feat. Brandy
Percussion and keyboards set a sombre mood for this mid-paced song. The lyric talks about dying slowly and having to love quickly as a result. They have to love eachother like the world is about to end since the sky is falling, the globe's warming, their country's warring, their leaders are lying, time is running, things are lower than low, with nowhere to go. This makes for an interesting take on the current state of affairs and by turning this political song into a song about love, it has much more impact. Brandy sounds fantastic and there is such emotion in their performance that the song resonates deep and hits the message home. One of the best tracks on the album.
Cross The Line
The song begins with a harder beat and snare dreams; all of which drop back when Legend starts singing his slow vocal. It's a mid paced track and the song is to a female friend, who John wants to become lovers with: Cross The Line. The song is good.
No Other Love feat. Estelle
Estelle is fast becoming a regular guest artist, having made appearances on tracks by people such as Robin Thicke, LeToya and David Guetta to name but a few. If the truth be told, she is yet to make a bad choice in song partner and 'No Other Love' is no exception. Guitars provides the vast majority of the backing, which is reggae in style. The beat is infectious and has you rising out of your seat. Brass adds weight to a catchy chorus and Estelle is on fire for the bridge that she sings. The song is about two lovers singing that the other is the only one for them and the harmonies between her and Legend show that they fit together perfectly. This is up there with the best tracks on 'Evolver'.
This Time
John's instrument of choice, the piano, introduces us to a slower track more reminiscent of his earlier material. This Time Legend wants it all, is laying his cards on the table and is giving all of his heart to his lady. Electric guitars threaten to turn the whole affair into a rock anthem, though give way to sweeping strings, more in keeping with the style of the song so far. As John sings more powerfully and with more conviction, the instrumentation increases and backing vocals make an appearance, all fading away briefly when John sings about being alone in his room, missing the love of his life. It's a great ballad.
Satisfaction
This is a good song! Electronic instrumentation repeats the melody of the track for the introduction, though the bass drops in time for Legend's vocal. He sings that his partner doesn't love him the way she says she does and he asks for some Satisfaction from her. He asks for her to put the magic back in their relationship as he think that things may be over since, in autumn, she is giving him the cold shoulder. This is a bit of a slow jam but manages to be catchy at the same time and will be doing the rounds in the head for a while after you've listened to it.
Take Me Away
This a slow song, with a fast Samba beat. Take Me Away is what the female subject of the song says to John so they can end up somewhere where love is like breathing. A good track.
Good Morning
This song starts just as the album did, John is singing Good Morning (his favourite love song) to his partner. He asks that she stay in bed with him; the perfect start to his day. The song is slow and a bit repetative for me at times but it is romantic. One for the ladies methinks.
I Love, You Love
Another slow jam. The electric guitar starts off things and both that and the drums stutter, never really playing continuously. As the song progresses, organs provide support to a brilliant vocal. The song is simple and this is its charm. There is less going on than 'Good Morning' but this has more success. I like this a lot.
If You're Out There
John is calling every woman, every man. We're the generation that can't afford to wait. The future has already started and its up to us to change the direction in which humanity is heading. African beats accompany the second verse that starts after a powerful chorus that inspires the listener to make changes for the better, to destroy hunger and end war. The song has a similar message to 'Quickly', though this time there is no hidden message or metaphor. Politics has never sounded so good.
Can't Be My Lover (Bonus Track)
The first bonus track is great! Reggae in style with a guest rap and brilliant backing vocals that are straight off of 'Get Lifted'. Legend is singing to a femme fatale that is trying to lure him away from his current partner and fails. The volume demands to be turned up for this and, like 'No Other Love' this song is for dancing to.
It's Over (Teddy Riley Remix) (Bonus Track)
The second bonus track is a remix of the Kayne West collaboration that is Track Three of the album. The sound is organic dance and is an improvement on the original.
Legend caught me by surprise with 'Evolver'. He has experimented with different styles and shown a versatility to his undeniably smooth voice. Each collaboration works brilliantly and there is not one bad song. Legend can sing as well fast as he can slow, he can tear it up as much as he can tug at your heart strings. 'Evolver' has to be in your collection.
John Legend's Official Website: www.johnlegend.com
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