As the title of this CD demonstrates, Musiq Soulchild is no fan of wasted space: Luvanmusiq is a brief disc, but its breezy neo-soul grooves and elegant slow jams stack up so tightly it's a wonder you don't hear squeaks as the disc moves from song to song. First track "B.U.D.D.Y.," which borrows from Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hot Stepper" (which borrowed from Taana Gardner's "Heartbeat" before it), thumps along with the kind of out-there spirit that'll make you wish for a return to Maxwell's urban hang suite, circa 1996; "Ms. Philadelphia," co-written by Ne-Yo, sets the mood for cocktail-sipping urban sophisticates; and "Betterman" starts with a Justin Timberlake-reminiscent beat but settles into its own warm bath of sincerity. Soulchild's songs play like personal letters--you want to open them alone, then share the best ones with best friends. Notably, that's the way you feel after hearing any of Soulchild's discs--Luvanmusiq is only the latest evidence that the man is comfortable in his R&B- and soul-saturated skin. --Tammy La Gorce
