SEX LOVE & PAIN II

Recording information: Greystone Studios. Photographer: Eric Williams. Tank's seventh album is presented as a sequel to his third one. Released in 2007, Sex Love & Pain debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, was his second album to top the R&B chart, and received a Grammy nomination. When albums are connected to past triumphs, they tend to be last-gasp attempts at regaining relevance, but the singer hadn't experienced a commercial decline prior to the release of Sex Love & Pain II. B.A.M. and Tank, rather than primary Sex Love & Pain collaborators the Underdogs, produced most of these tracks, so this is no nostalgia trip. While there are some instances where Tank is either longing for his woman or seeking repentance, the bulk of the album regards its title's first word. Tank's armed with another bunch of sleek slow-jam productions to complement his libidinous verses and, more than ever, his name is representative of his lyrical subtlety as much as his build ("Make your face my chair, leaking everywhere," etc.). He's still targeting teen and young adult listeners with material that falls in line with commercial R&B radio playlists. On "#BDAY," which features three guests who range from 12 to 17 years younger than him, he declares "I just want to help you celebrate," then offers a series of directions that includes "Put them candles down and get to the cake" and "Show me that it's real." "Relationship Goals," featuring one of the album's better slinking productions, is as single-minded, though it's more about giving than "BDAY," with "How about we start with my tongue from the waist down?" and promises to "beat it up." Throughout, Tank's voice is as strong as ever. ~ Andy Kellman