Bussin' is not a long-shelved project from the singer you swear you caught on the
Rhythm of Love tour or maybe did that Shazam-stumping cut you heard between
Horace Brown's "One for the Money" and
Groove Theory's "Tell Me." Contrary to its look and sound, it's the debut of an Orlando outlier who somehow seems both out of time and of the moment in 2019.
Devin Morrison writes, arranges, and produces all his material with a novel aptitude for refashioning late-'80s/'90s modes that pre-date
Timbaland and
Missy Elliott's twitch-and-jab dominance. Contemporary gospel, mature R&B, and smoother strands of new jack swing and G-funk are in the mix, rich in crystalline keyboards, fluid basslines that slip and bound, gentle swells of synthetic strings, and even a bit of silken guitar. It's all sweet and inviting, never saccharine, playing to
Morrison's strength as a smooth crooner who is expressive without raising his voice, and is neither pandering nor explicit. (Not even the track featuring
Daz Dillinger requires an advisory.)
Morrison rarely steps out of his mid-'90s dreamland, but when he does -- as on the shrugging single "No," coasting on a thrumming, fogged-out groove, and the askew funk of "Guaranteed" -- he still excels, and the sneaky hooks keep flowing. End to end, the comfort level is elevated, and raised even higher when
Joyce Wrice and
King's
Strother sisters grace the tracks.