It’s a thin line between smooth and super-safe, and Usher flops back and forth over it throughout his new album.
He’s apparently trying to reconcile his R&B playa-with-a-heart past with his married-and-grown present and it’s not totally working out.
The sparkling smash single “Love in This Club,” which appears twice, in a pop-oriented version with Young Jeezy and an old-school remix, featuring Beyonce cooing over a sweet Stylistics sample, is Usher’s link to his clubbing past and the most successful song on the album. The OneRepublic-ness of “Moving Mountains” is a bid for another hit, but even “Best Thing,” which has a promising opening with a cool beat and a strong rhyme from Jay-Z, ultimately falls flat with lame lyrics and a lackluster delivery.
Aside from those songs and the conflicted “This Ain’t Sex,” Usher gets lost in a bland, R. Kelly-styled soul soup.
The litany of mediocre relationship songs — “Before I Met You,” “His Mistake,” “Love You Gently” — doesn’t help. Instead of being the soundtrack for the clubs, Usher could turn much of “Here I Stand” into the soundtrack for any number of Lifetime made-for-TV movies.
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LOVE IT
TV SHOW
In Plain Sight
9 p.m. Sunday, USA
She’s a little late to TV’s tough-lady-cop party, but U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon still is a thoroughly entertaining character. As played by Mary McCormack (below), she’s smart, flirtatious and self-deprecating — and not one who suffers fools. Mary and her smartass partner, Marshall Mann (Fred Weller) are assigned to guard over entrants into the Witness Protection Program — the twist that makes this cop show special. Each week, M&M deal with a different kind of case — and each other — which keeps the laughs coming. [ CURT WAGNER, REDEYE ]
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VIDEO GAME
Boom Blox
Nintendo Wii, $50
Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” won’t be his only blockbuster this summer. Spielberg’s first of three original games in collaboration with Electronic Arts is for Nintendo’s Wii. Aimed at all ages, Boom Blox is a variation of the simple “destroy the blocks” game. The gameplay is easy to learn; anyone can jump right in. Add such themes as a haunted house, and this is a party game the entire family can enjoy. It’s the kind of addictive and fun experience that Nintendo usually creates on its own. [ JOHN GAUDIOSI, WASHINGTON POST ]
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Like it
SONG
New Kids on the Block
The timing couldn’t be better for the return of New Kids on the Block, as job insecurity and rising gas prices make lightweight pop seem like a necessary escape. The group’s comeback reunion single, “Summertime,” is a bit of a hodgepodge — some squonky keyboards, a doo-wop bridge, a little of Take That’s “Back for Good” — but it’s likable enough to push aside any troubled thoughts for three minutes. [ GLENN GAMBOA, NEWSDAY ]
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DVD
Square Pegs: The Complete Series $30
The title itself is an ’80s time trip, but the effect is complete when you see the 15-year-old Sarah Jessica Parker co-starring with Amy Linker as two non-cool high-schoolers. This first-ever DVD set of CBS’ 1982-83 cultcom boasts sharp video transfers and apparently (to nonexpert ears) original music, including appearances by new-wave Devo and theme song group The Waitresses. Extras include two hours of intimate recollections by the cast (what they look like now!). [ DIANE WERTS, NEWSDAY ]
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ALBUM
Al Green
“Lay It Down”
If “Lay It Down” sounds familiar, it should. Much like his 2003’s comeback CD, “I Can’t Stop,” this is an homage to and re-creation of Green’s ’70s glory days. The intentions are good. Green’s vocals are still sanctified and sexy. While no one is expecting Lil Wayne on the hook, the participation of stylists like The Roots’ Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson and James Poyser — along with fellow acolytes John Legend and Anthony Hamilton — implied that Green’s trademark sound might be guided into a new direction.
[ AMY LINDEN, AP ]– – –
LOATHE IT
Rambo
One and two discs, $29.95/$34.98
Sylvester Stallone revives his John Rambo character (just as he revived Rocky Balboa), also directing and co-writing this story. It finds the intrepid warrior living a peaceful life in a Thai village where he transports people on his old PT boat. But when some Christian aid workers are kidnapped by Burmese troops, he springs back into violent action. The two-disc special edition includes commentary by Stallone, deleted scenes and six short documentaries. [ BRUCE DANCIS, THE SACRAMENTO BEE ]
