J. Holiday's infectious single, "Bed," and its accompanying album, BACK OF MY LAC', was one of the most compulsively listenable R&B releases of 2007, yet it left some observers incredulous as to the true depths of Holiday's talents. Holiday's follow-up release, ROUND 2, ought to dispel any doubts and, somewhat surprisingly, reveals the singer to be a connoisseur of early `70s soul. Holiday has borrowed his album title, and the central riff of the album highlight "Wrong Lover," from the Stylistics. He also seems to have adopted a subtler, more relaxed persona, forgoing the hell-raising, substance craving songs of BACK OF MY `LAC for a more slow, jam-heavy approach. The-Dream and Carlos McKinney, who were responsible for the sound of BACK OF MY LAC', reappear on ROUND 2, and their work is reliably superb, but the album benefits most from Holiday's new-found sense of musical identity.
J. Holiday probably won't improve upon the commercial success of Back of My Lac'. Its two singles, "Bed" and "Suffocate," topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, which helped place the album at the same position on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He has hit the jackpot and does not have the pop appeal of the more polished Ne-Yo, whether in sound or image, so he should just attempt to make another "Bed," collect a moderate amount of radio play for his effort, and fade into the background, right? A move possibly made in part after witnessing several artists attempt to make their own "Bed" (whether through enlisting the song's writing/production team, the-Dream and Carlos McKinney, or approximating it with other studio hands), Holiday instead delivers a second album that is not a retread. It's not a reinvention, either, but the roster of collaborators is almost completely different, and Holiday all but eliminates the tough guy and stoner talk. While the singer hardly sounded on edge throughout Back of My Lac', he sounds even more comfortable and assured here, like someone who has nothing to prove and can get down to making some durable bedroom music; part of this could be due to his significantly increased songwriting input. It all lends itself to an album that is stronger than the debut (if without unique songs that scream "massive hit potential"), one that is less cocky, more confident, and all the more charming for it -- you can't help but be won over by a singer who is not too proud to reference and even namecheck a spectrum of inspirations, from the Chi-Lites to "Bed" and "Suffocate" co-writer the-Dream, while serenading his woman. ~ Andy Kellman minimize