John Legend is no stranger to collaborations. The soul-funk crooner—who had the good fortune of palling around with Kanye West pre-College Dropout—has contributed to tracks by (among others) Common, Fergie, T.I. and Jay-Z. Unlike some of his peers, though, Legend doesn’t need extra star power to boost the quality of his own music.
That’s obvious on his third album, Evolver, the strongest tracks on which find the 29-year-old drawing strength from his own talents. “This Time” is a soaring, Seal-like ballad featuring music-box piano and swelling strings. “If You’re Out There” is equally lovely, a call to arms that layers gentle rock guitar and piano atop martial heartbeats and (eventually) an angelic gospel chorus.
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Evolver’s guest appearances generally enhance the music, and don’t feel superfluous or gimmicky. The André 3000-featuring “Green Light” preserves the breezy, ’70s-funk-soul vibe of OutKast’s “The Way You Move” (perhaps because Legend merely sings the hook), while reggae beats, brassy horns and Estelle’s expat-next-door delivery drive “No Other Love.”
Not everything is quite so successful; for instance, a Brandy duet (“Quickly”) feels like generic ’90s R&B. And depending on your position, Kanye West’s barely recognizable cameo on “It’s Over”—a smooth jam indebted to Stevie Wonder—is either a blessing or a disappointment.
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