Music fans were delighted last week when music superstar Justin Timberlake released a new single supporting his upcoming sixth album. JT will follow the single release with an appearance on Saturday Night Live. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I revisited Timberlake’s 2017 collaboration soundtrack album with Mitchell Owens, The Book Of Love. As he would do a year later with the album Man of The Woods, Timberlake decided to venture away from the R&B influences, which were the dominant force of his previous releases, and go for a different sound.
It is worth mentioning that The Book of Love soundtrack features Justin Timberlake on only one track, which is the titular track. This song, a cover of the Magnetic Fields song of the same name, is performed by The Shadowboxers, with Timberlake providing uncredited vocals. The song is a slow and melancholy ballad characterized by Timberlake’s expressive voice and the Shadowboxers’ atmospheric instrumentation & vocals.
Apart from the titular track, the rest of the music on the soundtrack is mainly instrumental and evocative. The soundtrack was composed by American composer and pianist Mitchell Owens. The music is characterized by its introspective and expressive qualities, focusing on creating an emotional connection with the listener. Song titles include “The Raft,” “Wink and Mug,” “The Munchies,” and “Treads.” The music is calming on first listen, and the run times are short.
However, mainstream listeners may find the music monotonous. Despite the abundance of caution that Justin Timberlake harbors towards his proceedings, he saves himself with towering arrangements of delicate piano and meticulous guitar plucking. The aim here is none other but to guarantee constant underlined musical emphasis in every irreplaceable moment and try to keep up with the film’s themes that weren’t that well received.
Although I appreciate Justin’s attempt to experiment with new sounds, this project may not appeal to fans expecting a soulful follow-up to his highly successful album “20/20 Experience.” However, it will likely resonate with those who appreciate atmospheric and emotive music.
Final Grade: C-
The Book Of Love soundtrack is available on all streaming platforms.
This past Friday marked the 40th anniversary of “The Voice,” a.k.a. Whiney Houston’s self-titled debut album hitting stores. So, in that regard, it was only right to give Nippy her flowers for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
For this weekend’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to take a trip to Motor City and show some love to soul singer Dwele. It was 2005, and I was living in the UK as part of my Air Force enlistment. Dwele had just released his second album, “Some Kinda,” enjoying some chart success with the lead single “I Think I Love U,” by Mike City.
The remainder of the album maintains a classic R&B vibe, showcasing the group’s signature sound. One of the standout tracks is “Maybe Tomorrow,” featuring the iconic Phyllis Hyman. It transforms difficult circumstances into positive outcomes—essentially making lemonade from lemons.