{"product_id":"place-called-love-land","title":"Place Called Love Land","description":"Photographer: Whiteney Thomas.\u003cbr\u003eArtistically and commercially, Raheem DeVaughn's time with Jive\/Zomba closed on a high note. The Love \u0026amp; War MasterPeace, his third and final album for the label, debuted in the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best R\u0026amp;B Album. Nonetheless, DeVaughn moved to the independent Mass Appeal for an album titled (perhaps after consulting a Lonnie Liston Smith album title generator) A Place Called Love Land. There are no space princesses or golden enchantresses, but Love Land is stocked sky-high with slow material for bedrooms. \"Ridiculous\" is a falsetto ballad, sparsely ornamented to allow the light to shine squarely upon DeVaughn's awestruck but clear-minded pleading. Three consecutive tracks during the latter half are among the singer's best slow jams. \"Greatest Love\" (featuring Dru Hill's Larry \"Jazz\" Anthony), \"Cry Baby,\" and \"Make a Baby\" all contain melodic twists that are subtle, lingering, and satisfying enough to wash out the occasional bluntly graphic couplet. No matter how boastful DeVaughn gets, a listener can feel as if she's being addressed directly pretty much all the way through. Even when DeVaughn sings \"On the phone saying I love her, but in the bathroom there's another,\" as he does on \"Wrong Forever,\" it's done as repentance. It's surprising that the newly independent DeVaughn, whose transition to a smaller budget is sonically transparent, doesn't let loose with some freewheeling funk like \"Lose Control.\" That said, the throbbing \"Love Connection,\" released as a single several months prior to the album, is his best uptempo song, as well as one of his catchiest concoctions. It didn't gain traction with radio -- a major shame. ~ Andy Kellman","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48510190190879,"sku":"881034186522","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/952ff72372cd2ac23c691edff30828b2.jpg?v=1777836567","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/place-called-love-land","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}