Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

For a sophomore album, Donnie’s The Daily News, is not half bad, although not overwhelmingly good either, nor is it as catchy as his first album The Colored Section. However, with the socially conscious fervor of Marvin Gaye and a voice like Stevie Wonder, Donnie scores big points with me.

The standout and first single off the album, If I Were You, particularly has a Stevie vibe. A unique fusion of R&B, gospel and old school funk radiates throughout the album. Although Donnie may seem to rely a little heavily on the classic soul, his still manages to keep his sounds fresh and up to date for the most part.

His old school flare is probably not the underlying reason why his tunes will never make heavy rotation though. While I admire Donnie’s attempt to bring something other than a ballad to the table of R&B with some social consciousness, it is sometimes hard to enjoy the hot beats mixed with the serious subject matter of some of the lyrics. For example China Doll, a song about a pedophilia victim, and Atlanta Child Murders, about the brutal murders of children in the black community of early 1980s Atlanta in which Donnie indulges in the conspiracy theories posed, deal with provocative topics. It’s hard to bounce to a beat in a song about child molestation.Donnie does cleverly and tastefully weave important topics into other songs though. Impatient People, which references the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the federal government’s lackluster response to the situation, 911, which talks about how the nation should come together, and Suicide, which speaks about the worth of life and living over suicide are pure examples.Gospel vibes are clearly heard on the upbeat and uplifting For Christ’s Sake as well as the funky Mason Dixon Line, which refers to the historical line that separated the slave-owning South from the non-slave-owning North during the Civil War era.Over the Counter Culture, and the title track The Daily News on the whole speak to Donnie’s ability to craft modern issues with old school funk.

Donnie’s singing is flawless with a rich, soulful voice. For a sophomore album, The Daily News is a decent effort. It’s refreshing to hear something more come from a modern R&B artist besides crooning ballads and preachy church songs. Donnie wants to bring back the good stuff of old school and fuse it with the issues of today as well sing to more than just ears, but also hearts. I look forward to seeing an even better effort the next time around.