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Jamie Foxx’s drunk conquest from “Blame It,” one of the singles from his last album, apparently gets her revenge on his new effort, Best Night Of My Life. The slow jam “Sleeping Pill” finds Foxx hung over and barely remembering his randy night with a shorty who had her way with him after an Ambien. Of course, Foxx still plays Casanova in his stoned blackout, and the rest of Best is a similarly handsy and sonically narcotized collection of surprisingly nimble R&B.
Current radio staple “Winner” sets the template — big processed drums, creepy synths and lots of open space for Foxx’s capable runs. Trey Songz and Usher have more acrobatic voices, but Foxx has great taste in tracks and knows melodic modesty. “Living Better Now” chops up a Biggie sample a la “A Milli” over a sad, head-bobbing percussive loop ; “Fall For Your Type” is lovers’ rock for a techno dystopia.
Weirdly, Best evokes the early career of Rihanna, where a just-OK voice perfectly nestles into the steely production around it. “Restraint” is an unusual word for one to use in describing an actor’s pop album, but even if Best is a casual hookup, it’s one you’ll want to be awake for. — Los Angeles Times
