Grade: B+
Modern soul crooner John Legend and Jimmy Fallon’s legendary hip-hop house band The Roots join forces for an album full of funky ’70s soul covers. Tracks from soul legends like Curtis Mayfield and Bill Withers are infused with Legend’s passionate vocals, which blend smoothly with The Roots’ stellar rhythms. “Wake Up!” works best when the collaborators fuse their hip-hop and soul influences into their own unique post-funk style. While the album does get bogged down in The Roots’ almost-too-effortless beats, there are too many blasts of soulful melodies and funky drum rhythms to be anything less than impressed.