Raphael Saadiq, 'The Way I See It'

Backstory: The Oakland, Calif.–born singer/songwriter and producer known as Raphael Saadiq was born Charlie Ray Wiggins, but many people might still think of him as a Tony from the late ‘80s R&B hitmakers Tony! Toni! Toné! He later changed his name, formed Lucy Pearl with former members of A Tribe Called Quest and En Vogue, and has produced a host of artists such as Angie Stone, Bilal, D’Angelo, Ludacris, Whitney Houston and Mary J. Blige.

Why you should care: Saadiq’s third studio solo album, “The Way I See It” is a tribute to the early Motown sound, on which he sings timeless songs of love and devotion that are hard to fault. He’s even got a Motown legend of a guest star: Stevie Wonder, who comes through to blow a little harmonica on “Never Give You Up.”

Verdict: While Saadiq chooses a ‘60s musical theme here, the instrumentation has the polish of a modern production, so nothing comes off sounding too retro or gimmicky. This is exemplified on the subtle beat trickery happening in the background of “Sometimes” and “Big Easy.” The biggest complaint here is that the album, at a scant 38 minutes, could have been longer.

X-Factor: Rumors of an affair with the young British singer Joss Stone, more than 20 years his junior, intensified last year after Saadiq posed in a nude entanglement with her in the album artwork of last year’s “Introducing Joss Stone,” a record he largely produced. The pair meets again here, sure sounding like lovers on the smoldering “Just One Kiss.”