My college soundtrack was often the gravy laden beats and funk of Organized Noize Productions (ONP), the triad of producers responsible for Outkast, Goodie MOB and the rest of Atlanta's Dungeon Family. As a member of ONP, Pat "Sleepy" Brown was often hands-on with his artists, crooning away on such classic cuts as "So Fresh and So Clean" and "SpottieOttieDopaliscious." These tracks illustrate Sleepy's love for funk and classic soul. Unlike Diddy and Pharrell (who has a yawn inducing guest spot here), Sleepy Brown has talent in the booth as well as behind the boards. In fact, Brown's vocals are reminiscent of a less polished, early 70's, Marvin Gaye. I was really anticipating Mr. Brown because of the possibility that Sleepy might resurrect some of Hotlanta's creative brilliance that seemed to sweep in with the late '90s and then crest on Outkast's brilliant Stankonia. No such luck. Mr. Brown feels incomplete. As gorgeous as Sleepy's voice can be, lyrically the album is lacking.

Musically the album aspires to be an update of Marvin Gaye's under appreciated masterwork, I Want You. There are also elements of Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul and the polished perfection of Gamble and Huff's horn production. The problem is that Brown's subject matter is limited and homage can only take an artist so far. Sleepy is not a gangsta and, to his credit, does not attempt the pose. Instead, Sleepy Brown comes across as a Southern gentleman who is too classy to be nasty. In a field where the competition gets arrested for drugs and booze like D'Angelo or caught defecating on minors like R. Kelly, Sleepy seems positively tame. Unlike Marvin Gaye or Black Moses era Isaac Hayes, Sleepy is not particularly political which, again, reduces his potential lyrical subject matter. The bottom line is songs about women and cars are not enough for one album without some serious poetry and again, Sleepy is a good songwriter but not a great one. The guy can knock a chorus out of the ballpark but when it comes to verses, well… the guy needs some help.

The song "I Can't Wait," originally from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack, is the highlight of the disc. It features both Big Boi and Andre 3000 rapping and Sleepy laying back in a groove, allowing his gorgeous falsetto to shine. The track serves as a sad reminder of what we've lost with Outkast's breakup.

The music on Mr. Brown is excellent and reminiscent of the finest moments of ONP's work with the Dungeon Family. The resemblance to Marvin Gaye's I Want You is pure homage and highlights Sleepy's talent as an arranger and composer. If Sleepy Brown can get an assist on his lyrics and continue making music this interesting, his next album could be amazing.