John Legend is a hit-making machine, with a sound that is all his own, proven once again by his newest album “Wake Up!”

Yet this release is different from the  more pop-driven chorus’ of previous releases, such as “Save Room,” or  the easy melody of “Ordinary People.”

On “Wake Up!” Legend has collaborated with The Roots, a group  known for their  jazz-infused  hip-hop. This additional talent combined with songs that are meant to be highly evocative,  seems to be an attempt to encourage the listener to “Wake Up!”

Yet this album fails to make any sort of progress, either lyrically or musically. In fact, this album sounds rough compared to Legend’s usual smooth and often seductive vocals.

What this CD does deliver on is Legend’s trademark attitude. His music has always pushed boundaries, as he is constantly making overtly sexual lyrics marketable to an otherwise conservative crowd. 

The song that stands out as the one effective work on this album is “I wish I knew how it would feel to be free,” which allows Legend’s un-matchable vocals to shine through.

 Unfortunately this song is only joined by the ballad “Shine” as worth listening to. 

These two songs almost make up for the rest of the album’s lack of personality in their satisfying sound. 

Unfortunately it seems that Legend teaming up with The Roots was a bad decision.