Though the title, I Gotta Make It, suggests a note of urgency, there's no desperation in Songz's buttery tenor. At times he sounds like R. Kelly's heir apparent (s on the Chicago step-worthy tune "Make Love Tonight"). But with far less libidinous lyrics than Kelly, there's a genuine sweetness to Trey's work, even if it dips into naivete ("Hatin' Love" suggests "love ain't supposed to hurt").
Songz's 11-track offering is cohesive but missing that mind-blowing club joint. Perhaps the understatement is by design, as it allows for particular attention tot he singer's versatile writing. "From a Woman's Hand," for example, lauds single moms while challenging baby daddies to step up, and the sublimely horn-infused throwback "Comin' for You," produced by Organized Noize, is a playful litany of excuses for standing up his girl. As he claims on "I Gotta Go," he'll be "back before ya know it," and for this promising newcomer, that's not soon enough.
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