Much like the sartorial combination of the title, Suit & Tie is smartly modular– mix-and-matchable, even– with each section clearly marked by hard tempo changes. It’s 8 remixes in one. JT and Timberland mine inspirations deep into the 1970s, re-imagining old sounds and styles. While not quite as risky as “SexyBack” or as rewarding as “My Love”, “Suit & Tie” is still one hell of a wedding reception jam, as bubbly as champagne. Timbaland creates a smooth beat out of a marimba roll and harp gliassando that Marvin Gaye must have left on the cutting-room floor, and Timberlake rides it with that fluid, effortless falsetto. “Let me show you a few things,” he sings by way of seduction. Because it’s a song called “Suit & Tie”, Jay-Z is on here, delivering the obligatory rapped verse like he’s crashed a wedding. All in all a great return effort which is clearly an effort to ease us in to Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience out later this year.
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