The Nigerian-born, Atlanta-raised artist KenO Kenett cites a major roster of legends from Miles Davis, Etta James, Marvin Gaye to Al Green, as musical influences. Truth be told his sound is much too contemporary to trace any direct lineage.

His latest release Love In Stereo is a new school exercise in R&B and Hip Hop, vibing off the contributions of more recent musical luminaries. The title-track “Love In Stereo” delivers a breathy Usher-style come on, “Beautiful (Nwanyi Mara Mma)” rings out like a classic Seal ballad, while “You Make My Heart Go!” has a bigband John Legend type sound.

The production of the album is so slick the sheen is nearly blinding. That works great for club tracks like the danceable “Kilon Sele?” but it’s the more stripped down numbers that deliver the real heart and soul of the album. In “Heal My Pain = Halo” KenO Kenett whittles the song down to one voice and one acoustic guitar for a more intimate experience. There’s even a little bit of an Afrobeat shout out on “Cipha” with real skins drumming: a short and sweet nod to his Nigerian roots.

Love In Stereo covers a lot of musical ground in 12 songs, mostly successfully, thanks to top notch production, tight beats, and great guest spots from the likes of Audia da Sound, Matt Sesoo, Luke G, and more. And when the musical polyglot starts to make the record feel like a compilation, the guiding vision of KenO Kenett steps in to keep the whole party on track. There aren’t many sounds on this record that you haven’t heard before (see the long list of influences above), but you’ll enjoy hearing all the diversity brought in under one tent on Love In Stereo.

Download: KenO Kenett – Love In Stereo