Robin Thicke – Magic

The beginning of “Magic’ starts out with a decidedly seventies Latin-tinged type of instrumentation. The funk and soulful clap present in this track, which come forth like those in a Teddy Pendergrass track, soon gives way to Thicke’s vocal stylings, which pose themselves as drawing from a rich musical tradition that plays a little bit on Stevie Wonder, more on Lionel Richie, and some Justin Timberlake to bring some younger fans into the mix. However, all of these influences do nothing to really make this track something that will be memorable in current R&B circles. The track itself is not mediocre, but there is something missing, whether it is a featured star adding their own musical style (a current rap star would be a good match here) or further vocal differentiation on Thicke’s part. “Magic” is a solid introduction to “Something Else”, and hopefully the rest of the tracks on the disc will be at least this strong. For those individuals that wish to rap over this funk-heavy back beat, the single version of this CD also presents listeners with an instrumental version. Robin Thicke has evolved considerably from either “A Beautiful World” or even 2006’s “The Evolution of Robin Thicke”, so give this track a fair spin.

Rating: 6.1/10

Robin Thicke – Magic / 2008 Interscope / 2 Tracks / http://www.robinthicke.com / http://www.myspace.com/robinthicke /

Sargeant

John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.

Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools

Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.

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