Juslisen

1	Scratch (Introlude) 0:31
2	Newness 3:47
3	Caughtup / AAries 3:27
4	Stoplayin 4:03
5	Religious 4:18
6	Babygirl 3:34
7	Halfcrazy 4:14
8	Time 5:16
9	Future 4:00
10	Intermission: Juslisen 2:07
11	Realove 4:27
12	Onenight 4:41
13	Previouscats 4:00
14	Solong 4:14
15	Bestfriend / Carol Riddick 4:23
16	Dontchange 5:08
17	Motherfather 4:31
18	Something 5:08
19	Ifiwouldaknew Girlnextdoor Remix 4:32

Barnes & Noble

Drawing from the deep well of soul music past and present, Philly singer Musiq establishes himself at the forefront of the burgeoning neo-soul movement with his sophomore disc, Juslisten. Following in the heady wake of his reverential -- and multiplatinum-selling -- debut, Aijuswanaseing, the new disc is rife with richly harmonized, melodic ballads ("Time"), instantly hummable mid-tempo grooves ("HalfCrazy"), hip-hop- and funk-inspired jams ("Caught Up with Her"), and straight-church revival sessions ("Religious"). Vocally, Musiq arrives at his own style beyond the influences of his soul teachers, Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. Lyrically, however, Musiq is still playing the sensitive role -- a polar opposite to his freaky Philly soul counterpart Bilal (during a concert in New York City, Bilal joked, "Musiq just wants to talk to you, but I want to f*** you"). Although there's nothing wrong with being the nice guy, on the lounge-ready mellow funk of "Stopplayin'," Musiq proves that he's no pushover. "I don't mean to pressure you baby," he forewarns his fickle ladylove. "But you really need to make up your mind." And while not many of his contemporaries would attempt a cover of the late George Harrison's wistful "Something," Musiq -- who sings the rock ballad partially in a Prince-like falsetto -- proves he's up to the task. In Musiq's case, good guys don't finish last -- in fact, Juslisen puts the former Mr. Soulchild at the head of the neo-soul class. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

On his second album, Juslisen, Musiq -- who dropped the "(Soulchild)" surname -- delivers on the promise of his debut, turning in a slyly assured, smoothly sexy collection of neo-soul. One of the most appealing things about Musiq is that he never oversells his songs, never indulges in hyperbolic screams or exaggerated grunts and moans. He lays back on the groove but doesn't disappear into it -- he deepens it and gives it character, making this more than a supremely seductive neo-soul record. And, to be sure, it is that, a wonderfully romantic mood album, but it's more than that because Musiq has other skills besides crooning and keeping a mood. First of all, he and his collaborators are first-class writers, sustaining interest not just through the singles, but through the album tracks. Then, he and his producers know how to deliver a sound that at once hearkens back to classic '70s soul and feels lushly contemporary. Musiq doesn't hide his love for classic soul -- he's seen on the back cover digging through crates of vinyl, surrounded by eight-tracks -- but the great thing about what he pulls off on Juslisen is that this love is absorbed, ingrained in the very music, so while it's reminiscent of Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye at times, it never feels like a forced attempt to follow in their footsteps. Which, of course, is why it feels like a worthy heir. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone

Deeply sexy, filled with bottom-heavy grooves and dynamic production, [Juslisen's] an early candidate for R&B album of the year. Ernest Hardy