Artists from the-Dream to Frank Ocean to the Weeknd have been revamping Casanova soul, spiking their pillow talk with arty weirdness. But Robin Thicke is a true believer: In his bedroom it’s still 1974, champagne chilling in the bedside ice bucket. Love After War dips into a range of decades-old styles, from blaxploitation funk to groovy Al Green/Willie Mitchell Memphis soul. Thicke spends a lot of time pondering romantic turmoil, but he's at his best when he reverts to classic loverman form: squeezing gentle bossa nova chords on his acoustic guitar, and letting his feathery upper register do the dirty work.
Listen to "Love After War":
