FutureSex/LoveSounds

Justin Timberlake's new album is more important than you think it is, said Ann Powers in the Los Angeles Times. Its release heralds the end of the Beatles aesthetic of straightforward song craft and the pinnacle of the new pop, a mix of the 'œdense collage effect of 'abstract' hip-hop and the hallucinatory groove of post-rave-era dance music.' That's not to say that this is a classic album, or even Timberlake's best, but in its layers of sweet R&B vocals and trippy Timbaland-designed noise, it's a good example of the sound of the future. FutureSex/LoveSounds is a more ambitious album than 2002's Justified, said Greg Kot in the Chicago Tribune. Though it still packs plenty of Michael Jackson flavor, the record also mines such influences as Prince, and '70s soul legends Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway. 'œIt sounds great, though there's not a great deal of substance behind the kaleidoscopic grooves and textures.' Aside from 'œLovestoned' and 'œWhat Goes Around,' this is all standard Justin subject matter, involving dancing with a girl in the club and then later going steady. Except that this time, there are a few dirty words, said Sasha Frere-Jones in The New Yorker. It's adorable how uncomfortable the 25-year-old sounds on 'œSexyBack,' invoking the F-word in an attempt to sound as callous as a real live thug. Thank goodness he gets back to a sweet falsetto for 'œMy Love.' No need to be naughty, Justin. 'œThere is no shame in going back to your own basics.'

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