Billboard singles reviews: John Legend, LeAnn Rimes

NEW YORK (Billboard) - John Legend has collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, Snoop, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z,

Alicia Keys and even Fort Minor, but the man needs no help selling his old-soul vocal abilities.

"Save Room," from the upcoming "Once Again," is a singer's singer effort that proves Legend to be a cut above with a beautifully rendered song about holding onto cozy moments. A retro feel, including female background vocals and instrumentation (even horns), adds to the appeal while his loose, live-sounding voice cuts a groove straight from the '70s. Legend is already a critic's darling; "Save Room" should thrust him into the collective mainstream.

ARTIST: LEANN RIMES

SINGLE: SOME PEOPLE (Curb Records)

LeAnn Rimes has been around for so long and crossed so many format borders that at times it's easy to take her stellar talent for granted. Country radio warmly embraced previous offering "Something's Gotta Give," and the momentum should maintain eight cylinders on "Some People," which shows Rimes' maturity as an interpreter and as a premier vocalist. Her soulful reading of the line "a little faith will pull us through" is enough to convince. This is among her best work in a long while, and man, oh, man, that's saying something. Now if only there were a way to convince Curb to release her extraordinary new overseas-only pop album, "Whatever We Wanna."

ARTIST: BOB SEGER

SINGLE: WAIT FOR ME (Capitol Records)

It has been more than a decade since

Bob Seger served up any new material, which wouldn't be particularly newsworthy if not for just how inspired and well executed his sudden reappearance is. Single "Wait for Me" is vintage and yet so craftily produced that it connects the memories of a master and a surprisingly relevant new chapter. Not only did the man write and produce the song, but he has the backing of a major label -- rare among the over-50 crowd. Album "Face the Promise" is due in September, and with adult contemporary radio's easy embrace of "Wait," Seger might be in store for a

Rod Stewart-like album debut. Seger has shot an unexpected bull's-eye here. Who'd have thunk it?

ARTIST: BLUE OCTOBER

SINGLE: INTO THE OCEAN (Universal Motown)

Buoyant track "Into the Ocean" possesses a musical adroitness commonly found on the intelligent end of the pop spectrum, where

Peter Gabriel and Dave Matthews Band reside. Its lightweight feel and delightful singsong chorus are so catchy, they almost disguise the far-from-happy-go-lucky lyrics. Lead songwriter/vocalist Justin Furstenfeld uses the ocean as a metaphor for struggling with suicidal despair. The production is very assured: Skipping drums, overlapping vocals and cheerful electronic bleeps ebb and flow in great balance with a warm violin floating in the background. It's another excellent track from the band's latest album, "Foiled," that will keep the album afloat on the Billboard 200.

ARTIST: JOHN CONLEE

SINGLE: PASS IT ON (RCR)

This fine song is a cautionary tale that admonishes parents to be mindful of their legacy. The poignant lyric speaks of a man who passes on his addictions to his children; the second verse addresses how young minds also can be poisoned by prejudice. Harley Allen, one of Music Row's most gifted writers, makes his points with a gentle poetic touch, and Conlee's distinctive voice beautifully delivers the potent lyric. The veteran crooner has never sounded better, particularly as he segues into the third verse about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. At a time when country programmers have embraced songs of a spiritual nature such as "Believe" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel," it appears Conlee has his finger on the pulse with this powerful record.

ARTIST: OAR

SINGLE: HEARD THE WORLD (Lava/Atlantic Records)

A sort of jam-rock quintet, OAR has a great story to tell while it waits to break on radio. Starting in 1998 as an Ohio college frat band, these guys have built a cult following through nonstop touring, and they sold out Madison Square Garden in January. It is easy to imagine that this tune hit a home run that night. A blockbuster sunset anthem driven by simple campfire guitars, "Heard the World" sends a huge hands-in-the-air chorus over a hiccuping Dave Matthews groove. Super-catchy but far from inventive, this

Jack Johnson-meets-Matchbox 20 ballad should enchant rock radio.

ARTIST: PRIMAL SCREAM

SINGLE: COUNTRY GIRL (Columbia Records)

For a British indie band that once delighted followers with psychedelic and punk rock sounds, and later with fusions of pop and acid house, Primal Scream can sure deliver some good old American country rock. New single "Country Girl" is an instantly infectious stomper that will keep toes tapping. With a hint of early Rolling Stones, a rousing chorus and a little

Neil Young added for good measure, the single's familiar feel is certainly not revolutionary, but a band that can continually reinvent itself after 20 years is perhaps refreshing enough. Having peaked at No. 5 on the U.K. charts, "Country Girl" is already the highest charting single of its career, and although it's unlikely to find the same success stateside, maybe its accessibility will earn the band attention on U.S. rock radio.

ARTIST: LEIGH NASH

SINGLE: MY IDEA OF HEAVEN (One Son Records)

Leigh Nash, whose sweet, sun-kissed vocals defined group Sixpence None the Richer for more than 13 years (including 1998 top five hit "Kiss Me"), bows solo with "Blue on Blue," replete with a similar, appreciably celestial quality. In the two years since the band split, she had her first baby and decided to escape the chaos of Los Angeles to record in Nashville. The relaxed, rosy result is an optimistic beacon amid the dark themes inundating much of radio. Launch single "My Idea of Heaven" is a midtempo chugger professing contentment in love ("To feel your heart beating/To feel our lips meeting/This is my idea of heaven"). Adult contemporary and adult top 40 radio should sense a new core artist. Nash is like a cool rain shower on a 95-degree day.

Reuters/Billboard