The singer Christian Berishaj, who performs as JMSN, is devoted to the sound of late-1990s neo soul. On his new album Whatever Makes U Happy, the bass is poised, expressive, and brimming with energy; the drums are sharp. Most importantly, JMSN’s voice is always caught in a viscous web of groove.
A few years ago, these arrangements sounded rebellious. It seemed that an R&B singer with hopes of radio play had to live by rap’s rules, and even D’Angelo—whose Voodoo album remains neo soul’s sacred document—could not crack the Top 20 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart when he returned with “Really Love” in 2014. But the climate has changed. Earlier this month, Kevin Ross’ “Long Song Away” climbed to No. 12 on the same chart that stymied D’Angelo without making any concessions to the sounds of contemporary hip-hop. And Childish Gambino reached No. 11 with “Redbone,” showing that funk with blatant Bootsy Collins references could occupy the same space as Future and Travis Scott. These days, artists with a comprehensive understanding of R&B from the 1970s, 1980s, and ’90s are less like separatists and more like members of a thriving loyal opposition.
In this context, JMSN’s new album is a modest success; he hits his marks, if nothing more. There’s not much grip in his voice, but at a time when male R&B singers tend to overuse their falsetto, JMSN reserves his high notes, setting himself apart by focusing on a cooled-out, conversational mid-range. He also sprinkles his songs with curses to shatter their smooth veneer, and he can arrange a pretty backing vocal. Whatever Makes U Happy is best when it’s busy—as on “Slowly,” where JMSN aligns the clipped, controlled percussion with a doleful, front-porch guitar line and clumps of piano. “Slowly” summons the spirit of the under-appreciated Jon B, who scored a few R&B hits between 1995 and 2001.
But JMSN is often content to set up a traditional song structure and let it play out without adding any distinguishing touches. He loves the soul mainstay of the ballad in 6/8 time: Whatever Makes U Happy opens with “Drinkin,’” which uses this dependable form to spin a sort of booze-happy guide to self-help. “Always Somethin’” reaches to a different tradition, tracing a bluesy arc close to Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason.” JMSN builds up the despair with his declarative final phrase: “Wish someone would tell me why I waste my time working day and night.”
JMSN gets the forms right, but there’s a hollowness to his performance. He doesn’t have enough command in his voice to put his songs over with authority, or enough reticence to be seductively absent from them. If JMSN has an extensive knowledge of R&B tradition, he has yet to make it his own.
