John Legend & the Roots: Wake Up! – review

Obama's presidential campaign was a potentially galvanising moment for American music. This album – from Philadelphian hip-hop outfit the Roots and singer John Legend – tries to extend that moment of hopeful political engagement. What a pity that so many of these covers of socially conscious vintage soul tracks lack bite. "Our Generation (The Hope of the World)" finds the Roots in full righteous funk swing; Legend's attempt at reggae on "Humanity (Love the Way It Should Be)" is rather sweet. But his default blandness mars many of these otherwise intriguing finds. They should have steered clear of Marvin Gaye's "Wholly Holy", a silvery song bish-boshed to oblivion here.