R. Kelly, watch out. You've got competition.

His name is Methrone, and his album My Life shows an artist who is still very much in development, but once he gets all of his ducks in a row, he could well take over the slow jams throne that you've occupied for some time now.

Let's look at the big picture here. First, the artist (born Carlos Methrone Reynolds) is only 24 years old, so he's got plenty of time to totally dominate this r&b field. Second, not only did he play 95 percent of the instruments himself (receiving minimal assistance from Ty Maximus), but he wrote all of the songs on this debut disc himself - bringing to mind the image of a certain performer whose name is unwelcome here.

What you have, in effect, is a musical time bomb just waiting for the right time to explode. And someone has definitely lit the fuse on Methrone, 'cause the music on this disc is quite enjoyable.

Take the first single "Loving Each Other 4 Life," and try to poke any holes in this track. You really can't, it's that tight of a musical work from every angle. It's not only got a great slow groove, but it's a beautiful song as well - and even the remix of it at the end of the album works well.

Oh, sure, you occasionally have Methrone dipping into the steamier side of the slow jams, talkin' about doin' the nasty on songs like "I Wanna Get Freaky," "Your Body" and "Slow & Steady," but I don't necessarily see these tracks as being primarily lascivious or portraying Methrone as a horn-dog ladies' man. Instead, there seems to be a little more behind the messages, no matter how much they may cause the windows to steam up at your house. So I'm willing to grant some slack here.

Compaints? I have but one, and it's not a major one. It sometimes feels like Methrone is relying too much on the synthesized instruments such as the drums, and is not allowing for a more organic sound to develop. Maybe, if he were to find the right bandmates, it would free him up and give him room to come fully into his own as a singer. Can you say "unstoppable"? Thought you could.

So why do I say that he's not quite ready to overtake R. Kelly? As enjoyable as My Life is, I get the feeling that Methrone has yet to master the slow jam - and, boy, can you imagine what that album is going to be like once he does? You thought this was good, wait 'till that magical day. He's incredibly talented, but My Life seems to suggest that Methrone is just getting warmed up. With a little more experience under his belt, chances are he's going to blow all competition out of the water... and I'll be looking forward to hearing that album. Until then, My Life will fit the bill quite nicely.

Rating: A-

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