Cosmo Baker's Love Break was, in my humble opinion, the best mixtape of 2005, so when he told me he was thinking about following it up with a sequel, I basically hounded him until it got done - and now here it is! Scientifically engineered for maximum babymakingability, Love Break 2 features almost 30 tracks and runs over 74 minutes for those extra late nights (or early Sunday mornings). Just like the first round, this is basically the smoothest, most soulful shit in the world, with some pretty well known tracks alongside a generous sprinkling of dusty gems. (The upside, of course, is that if you lost your girl 'cause you spent too much money buying records on Turntable Lab, at least you can be smug and satisfied by identifying the tracks – out loud, to yourself – without looking at the insert.) The first volume of Love Break is one of the best-selling mixtapes we've carried, so I don't think I need to do much explaining here, but check some selected artists: Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Eddie Kendricks, Al Green, Dionne Warwick, Lyn Collins, The Ambassadors, Jackson 5, The Impressions, y mas y mas. Definitely on par with the first volume, and obviously recommended.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red