Admittedly I've always been lukewarm on his voice, but he does sound vocally inspired here. And I like that he and Timbaland once again crafted a consistent sound/vibe, which makes for a cohesive album.

"Strawberry Bubblegum" is dope, as is "Don't Hold Up The Wall". That Girl" is smooth. "Blue Ocean Floor" is a nice closer (though I feel a more emotive and dramatic singer like Bjork or Wendy Stubbs (Alpha), would have blown this out of the water). And I'm probably one of a handful of people that actually likes "Suit & Tie" (though Jay's verse is unnecessary, and the "screwed" beat change-up is boring)...

However, I think the sound may be a bit TOO consistent. I don't know if it was the combination of heavy drums and fuzzy basslines, but after awhile, I felt the songs began to run into each other, and were hard to distinguish. The musical backdrops lacked enough nuances to really pull me in. I wish they'd have utilized his band more, provided a few more organic moments to contrast the harder mechanical beats.

This was especially important given the length of the songs. If you're going to make 6-8 minute songs, you have to have enough elements to hold a person's attention or at least set a mood that hypnotizes/locks you in. I don't think the beat change-ups were very interesting. Not saying they needed to do another "Lovestoned/I Think She Knows" (which I think was a excellent example of how to do it), but they didn't take me sonically to another level, make me say, "OH SHIT." Instead some of the songs seemed overlong and slightly droning. *shrug*

Overall, it's a solid album. It's warm and familiar, but I haven't caught the groove of it yet. That'll take some time...