‘Love After War’ Review: More Love on Robin Thicke’s Latest

It’s rare to find artists who pay homage to the institutions of R&B, soul and funk that dominated the ‘70s and ‘80s era. Robin Thicke is one of them. He proves how rare an artist he is with his latest album, “Love After War,” a collection of R&B and soul bred from pure songwriting and musical skill. Thicke proves yet again he’s an old soul, an erotic powerhouse of sex appeal.

The first track, the funky charmer, “An Angel on Each Arm,” is completely badass, full of self-made bravado, cleverly comprised of confident, sexy lyrics, a rocking use of instruments such as the tambourine, drums and an electric guitar and of course, Thicke’s suave voice. The song has a soundtrack-esque vibe as if it belonged in a Blaxploitation film, an all-around sound that brings you back to the ‘70s with its expressive, free elements. You would have next to no control over your left foot if it started to tap mercilessly and God be with you if you start to snap, short of busting a move out in public.

Yes, this song will make you want to groove all over.

The next track is no better. Actually, it is.

“The New Generation,” the fourth track, is a positive picker-upper about the progressions in our generation and what we have to be proud of. Very feel-good, this song is a social motivator and very self-congratulatory supported by a snazzy, jazzy progression. A song lost in the wrong decade but fits in just fine, the sound is nothing new as the timeless elements bind together perfectly and create the grooviest tribute to both our time and decades past. Don’t be surprised if you hear this one at the next block party.

The next song has to be one of the sexiest yet.

The ninth track, “Tears on My Tuxedo,” is so good, it’s not even funny. Very noir, about a man who no longer trusts his woman, or her tears, rather, Thicke is like the James Bond of R&B/soul as he whispers an amorous serenade of doubt into your ears amidst a guitar among other instruments, with a ‘night in Paris’ type of sound. Sexual tension flirts confusion as Thicke sings out lyrics in a low falsetto, “don’t know if it’s real or fake, I can’t trust the weight of your tears on my tuxedo,” making this the sensitive cousin to rapper Drake’s “Trust Issues.”

Robin Thicke is no stranger to hip-hop, as he’s collaborated on more than several tracks with rappers such has his ‘The Evolution of Robin Thicke’s’ “Wanna Love You Girl” (featuring Pharell Williams), his ‘Sex Therapy’s’ “Shakin’ It For Daddy” (featuring Nicki Minaj), Lil Wayne’s “Shooter” and even helped produce the rap titan’s “The Carter III.”

The number seven track, “Pretty Lil’ Heart,” which features Lil’ Wayne, is a bother, though. As good as the dynamic is between Thicke and Weezy, (see, even their names go together), this song is a misstep, one that takes you out of the jazzy/soul/R&B flow that initially made the album so unique.

The song is good; but it’s a because removes one from the love-makey, happy, sensuous themes of the album. The song could’ve done a lot better without Lil’ Wayne’s bars to mess up what was supposed to be a nice yet dark song about being appreciated. The rap took the soul out of the body of the song and left it a shell of what it could be.

The tracks were written mostly by Thicke himself, and are webs of passion, neglect, hope and just plain old-school fun woven into a finely polished masterpiece which, judging by the sound, will be unscathed by time, as generations under us will have listened as we groove on through the ages with yet another Thicke classic.