John Legend's Love In The Future Is Exquisite In The Here and Now

Make no mistake, when John Legend emerges from his creative hibernation to discuss love, his audience gets spectacle, the technicolor brush stroke of what it's like to love or, as was the case in "Used to Love U", estranged from it. "Caught Up" is the final track listed on John's compellingly splashy new effort "Love In The Future", but its soaring majesty would've easily made it worth including right up front. Love stokes John's oxygen and who wouldn't be in the front row of that church uttering one hearty amen after another. He's highly convincing. One of the other highlights gracing a project full of them is "All of Me". The way his voice quivers with vulnerability as the regal harmonies shimmer behind him is nothing shy of remarkable. He has us the listeners hanging on every nanosecond of drama. Guest vocalist Stacy Barthe lifts "Angel" to a superior exalted place. "Love In The Future", the intro, is an ambitious opening salvo, the extended staircase leading to the 14 panoramic tributes to how much of a revelation it is to be in the tranquility promoting arms of love. "Dreams" puts John's softer shadings in the spotlight. "Hold On Longer" is vintage Legend, a performance worthy of that last name. There's no setting where the tracks on this CD wouldn't be welcomed. Champagne and chocolates are optional but I suspect if you listen long enough you'll conclude they are preferred.