Embrya  (Audio CD) 
by Maxwell

The bass line of the opening track is the first sign, and the smooth funk of the second track confirms it: On Embrya, Maxwell has done it again. Sophomore efforts don't always fare well, especially when an artist is still riding high on the accolades of a debut, but Maxwell has managed to take the exquisite soul of 1996's Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and, without sacrificing any of its verve, turn it into something far more sophisticated. Not only is Embrya a sublime summer soundtrack, it's a groove masterpiece from start to finish. "Luxury: Cococure," the first single, like "'Til the Cops Come Knockin'" before it, is only the slightest taste of the treasures waiting to be devoured. If you're looking for lush ballads, skip to "Matrimony: Maybe You," the haunting "Know These Things: Shouldn't You," and the sensual slow jam "Gravity: Pushing to Pull" (and yes, nearly all the tracks are subtitled like this). They may not be as yearning as those that detailed his weekend-long tryst on Hang Suite (Maxwell knows better than anyone just how far a little restraint can go), but these tracks are gifts on their own. Put them together and you have an album that does nothing but elevate Maxwell's impeccable reputation as the man who breathed life back into the soul of R&B. --Rebecca Wallwork