Robin Thicke has been working away on the underground scene for some time, but his debut solo LP, ‘A Beautiful World’ passed virtually unnoticed when it dropped in 2002. Despite having already established himself as a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer for his work with artists like Brandy, Mary J. Blige and Brian McKnight, Thicke found the transition from behind-the-scenes into the spotlight failing to go quite to plan.

This second time around Thicke is hoping to break that mould and judging by the popularity of his latest single ‘Lost Without U’, he could well be on his way.

‘The Evolution of Robin Thicke’ is written, performed and produced almost entirely by the man himself, with just the one beat coming courtesy of Pharrell and Chad, even though Thicke is signed to their Star Trak label.

Yet it is his persistence to keep everything his own which makes this album stand out from the rest. The simplicity of the vocal arrangements and melodies on tracks like ‘Complicated’ and ‘Can U Believe’, (where at times Thicke sounds reminiscent of Justin Timberlake) work surprisingly well, but while repetition works for him on some tracks, ‘Would That Make U Love Me’ feels like somewhat of an album filler.

Thicke’s falsetto is easily complimented by guest stars Faith Evans (‘Got 2 Be Down’), Pharrell (‘Wanna Love U Girl’) and Lil’ Wayne, who surfaces twice on ‘All Night Long’ and the grimy ‘Shooter’. The latter is one of the album’s best cuts, with Thicke stepping out of his comfort zone to walk on the wild side. Likewise, on ‘Everything You Can’t Have’ Thicke takes inspiration from elsewhere with the 1920s-inspired cut, sampling ‘Malambo No.1’ to produce a vastly different, but much appreciated variation to the tracklisting.

Thicke is still the best on the soulful ‘Lost Without U’, and it is no wonder this track soared to the top of the American Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Charts. His light, breathy tones breeze over the gentle guitar riffs, making this a timeless and truly amazing piece of art.

Thicke’s success may not have come as quickly as he and his record label may have anticipated, but as the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait… And Thicke is certainly a gem worth waiting for.

Rating 4 out of 5

Top Three Tracks:

12) Shooter

4) Lost Without U

2) Complicated