Indeed, like much of the material on 2009s 'Revelation' and the following year's 'Accelerate,' these ten tracks would surely be taken more seriously had they been released by an artist who wasn't so keen to embrace the world of trashy reality TV.
The slinky disco-funk of 'Don't Be Afraid' proves Andre can compete with the likes of Ne-Yo when it comes to aping Michael Jackson's 'Off The Wall' era, whilst the King Of Pop's influence can also be also heard on the soaring balladry of 'Fly Away,' which comes equipped with a Slash-esque winding guitar solo.
Continuing the retro vibes, the seductive 'X' sees So Solid Crew's Lisa Maffia play the temptress against a backdrop of woozy synths and West Coast R&B beats that could have been borrowed from the G-funk scene. There's also a similar mid-90s feel to 'Not A Love Song,' whose blend of smooth falsetto and vocodered vocals help recall the late night slow-jams of Jodeci and Blackstreet.
Unfortunately, there are still a few tentative steps onto the generic electro bandwagon. 'Don't Give Up' is little more than a retread of Chris Brown's 'Turn Up The Music,' while the chic disco-pop of opener 'What A Girl' is needlessly interrupted by a Swedish House Mafia-style hands-in-the-air build-up.
But if you can somehow forget the OK! magazine shoots, constant declarations of love for his kids and distasteful public slanging matches, then 'Angels and Demons' is far more palatable than many would expect.
