Black Rose
Tyrese
(Voltron Recordz)
Four stars
Surely someone would have sat down with Tyrese and told him it was a bad idea.
An album where he finds various ways to apologise for his infidelities may not necessarily endear him to the masses.
The most recent example of the risk involved is Robin Thicke's Paula, an album so hopelessly self-indulgent and misguided, that he is yet to recover from it.
To top all that, Tyrese has been boasting to anyone who will listen that his sixth album, Black Rose, is not only his best yet but his final release – the latter a popular claim proved false in recent times by the likes of Jay Z and Lil Wayne.
You need to block out all that cynicism, however, because Black Rose is a rather fantastic slice of smooth and modern R&B.
The Tyrese on tape here is a far cry from the buffoonish Roman Pearce in The Fast and The Furious franchise. Instead, we find the 36-year-old in a reflective and melancholic mood. Where on screen Tyrese is fond of declaring he is taking things "to the next level", in Black Rose he is down in the dumps and very sorry.
A major cause of the distress is a series of failed relationships – particularly with his ex-wife – that were often down to his wandering eye.
Despite the title, the lead single Dumb S**t is a rather elegant mid-tempo R&B track as Tyrese comes clean about his misdeeds: "I'm sloppy with the cheating/ Always catch me creeping/ Don't ask me why I do it, cause I ain't got a reason."
In Shame, we are transported to a smoky bar, where over an understated piano and guitar effect Tyrese asks to be taken back, albeit with a big caveat: "Have I learnt, that's your question/ And my answer I have/ But if you're expecting perfection then we're not gonna last."
Some optimism can be found in the country gospel-tinged Prior to You, a hook-up with fellow TGT bandmate Tank. It also serves to showcase Tyrese's underrated vocals. One can tell that he has studied soul's greats and found his biggest influence Al Green, effectively channelling the legend's warmth and supple phrasing.
Black Rose ends with a pair of regal ballads: Rest of Our Lives, featuring Brandy, is a great throwback slice to 1990s R&B and recalls KC and Jo Jo during their prime. The last track, the lush I Still Do, is a last-ditch attempt to salvage a broken relationship: "I know that you still hate me/ I know you are angry but you made mistakes, too."
While there is a feeling the relationships addressed here are unrecoverable, Black Rose's resolution arrives in Tyrese's new-found perspective and growth. If this is in fact his swan song, then it's a fine way to end.
sasaeed@thenational.ae
