Our look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to BLACKsummers’night, the new album by Maxwell:


• “As a performance, it’s a wonder to behold, especially given the complex music the star needs to make seem simple. There’s just one piece of news that could top all that: Maxwell has already recorded two sequel CDs, planned for release in as many years. We have a lot to look forward to.” [Jim Farber, New York Daily News]


• ”At its best, BLACKsummers’night evokes the complex late ’70s albums of Marvin Gaye, when the singer was making his most deeply personal music, sometimes without regard to commercial considerations. It’s free of gimmicks (Hey, an R&B record without Auto-Tuned vocals!) or trendy producers (No Kanye, no Timbaland; instead, guitarist Hod David does most of the work). No wonder BLACKsummers’night walks its own confident path down the artier fringe of R&B.” [Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune]


• ”Maxwell promises more hopeful fare on his next installment, and overall BLACKsummers’ Night does seem like the first movement in a larger piece that won’t offer total satisfaction until it’s completed. Still, for those who like their pop delicate and unapologetically deep, this is one for turning up loud and wallowing.” [Ann Powers, Los Angeles Times]


• ”A few tracks (the fuzzy ‘Fistful of Tears’) miss the mark, but this is the necessary R&B return from one of our great–and seemingly lost–soulmen. Now, anyone got D’Angelo’s number?” [Ken Capobianco, Boston Globe]