John Legend is an exceptionally talented soul singer whose association with Kanye West resulted in the mostly lovely, mostly romantic debut album GET LIFTED. On one sexy love song after another, John struts his considerable vocal stuff in reverent tribute to musical influences as diverse as Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and Snoop Dogg -- in addition to trying to carve out a bit of territory that is all his own. Because his voice is velvety and expressive, the sweetest, quietest songs end up being the most successful. High points are the love ballads: "Stay With You" is a simple, gorgeous love song. "It Don't Have to Change" includes a gospel-tinged backup choir made up of Legend's family, and is a sentimental heart-tugger. Lines like "My heart don't got nothing to do with my penis" (on the perky "Number One") or the occasional four-letter word are jarring because they are in such vivid contrast to the smooth overall sound, and the singer's gorgeous voice.

Lyrically, Legend seems preoccupied with the concept of sexual infidelity, and may be the go-to guy for this generation's "Me and Mrs. Jones," "Pittsburgh Steelers," or "Long Black Veil." But the strongest tracks are the most romantic, and show off this exceptionally talented singer's voice to its best advantage.