“Wake Up” has no snooze button

John Legend and The Roots' latest record, “Wake Up!” is a blast from R&B’s activist past. John Legend and passionate hip-hop band The Roots rejuvenate 11 declaritive songs of the ’60s and ’70s and illustrate that they have not in the least, gone out of style.The album is a social call to action. Conceived during the 2008 presidential campaign and released Sept. 21, 2010, the record features ten covers of ‘60s and ‘70s R&B, jazz and soul songs and also includes one original track, "Shine". Among the original performers are Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers.Each song from this album has powerful, passionate lyrics and tells a distinct story. An example is the cover of Bill Withers' "I Can't Write Left Handed." This song tells the story of a soldier who has lost his right arm. He is dictating a letter to his mother in the hopes of postponing his younger brother's involvement in the war. The new spin on the music compels the audience to listen but does not detract from the message — that even though life is not always fair, one should do his/her part to help and alert the people around them.The album is centered around Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ “Wake Up Everybody.” The cover features John Legend, R&B singer Melanie Fiona, The Roots and rapper Common. Though the rhythm of this song is upbeat, the lyrics are not and many people relate it to the current condition of our economy and government. "When you teach the children," sings Legend, "teach 'em the very best you can." This is relative to the state of our public schools. People can connect "the world won't getno better if we just let it be" to President Obama's promise for change.Though this is a collaborative album, the spotlight shines strongly on Legend. The Roots’ singer Black Thought is noticeably absent from the album. This is a surprise, as he is known to be a very inspirational vocalist. He is only featured in two tracks, "Little Ghetto Boy" and "Hard Times". Nonetheless, The Roots’ old fashioned instrumental accompaniment paired with Legend’s bright voice is a unique and modern sound.While the first half of "Wake Up!" is upbeat, the second half is slower paced and more subdued. The songs that are most worth listening to are "Shine", "Wake Up Everybody", "I Can’t Write Left Handed'' and ''Little Ghetto Boy''.The Roots are confidently in their comfort zone, but Legend is clearly stretching out of his. ''Wake Up!'' is a sharp contrast to his previous album, ''Evolver'', which was filled with mindless love songs.Legend and The Roots’ have hit a sweet spot in the music community and have shown that this genre of music has not gone out of style.Eloise GrahamStaff Writer