This is not as consistent as Lemar's previous album, 'The Truth About Love', but there are still some excellent R&B/Soul ballads here. On his first five albums, he put A-tier songs on all of them. The title track is amazing and a few aren't far behind. Best Tracks: The Reason, Weight of the World, If She Knew, Over You, Mayday, Wait Forever 1. The Reason 100 2. Weight of the World 96 3. Little Miss 'Heartbreaker' 60 4. If She Knew 84 5. Trust Me 64 6. Over You 80 7. Mayday 90 8. Wait Forever 86 9. Not What You Say 64 10. Black Tide 70

My old review of Mario's EP, 'Closer to Mars', can basically be used for this album. Not much is catchy and there is a lack of build-up or variance in the songs. Too many songs don't develop and also don't allow Mario to really show his immense vocal talent. Best Tracks: Home, Still in Love

There's some great soul/R&B here. For this album you have to listen to the whole song because a lot of songs build up and erupt toward the end. The only negatives are that the songs do seem to blend in to each other at times, but nevertheless, it does feel like an album. I perhaps don't love anything to the level of the best on his other albums like the songs: 'Another Day', 'Time to Grow', 'Born to Love' or 'The Reason' but the consistency is an improvement. A great album if you are into Lemar's previous stuff or this genre of music. Best Tracks: Love Me or Leave Me, It's Not That Easy, Just Can't Live Without Each Other Love, When a Heart Is Broken, Beauty Queen

Given the message and overall gentle tone (not to mention the great soundtrack) this has, I almost feel bad not rating this higher, but the second half felt a little slow for me. It didn't pack the punch that I perhaps expected it to earlier in the film. The emotional build is there, and the performances are subtle and sincere, yet the narrative seems to lose a bit of momentum once the central revelation settles in. I still admire what it’s going for (the dignity, the reflection, the humanity), but I couldn’t help wishing for a slightly stronger closing beat to match the promise of its first half.

Lemar’s 'Time to Grow' is an album that shows just how strong he can be when everything clicks, even if not every moment reaches those heights. It opens on a solid note with 'Soulman', a warm and confident introduction, before dipping slightly with 'Better Than This', which doesn’t quite land its hook. The early standout is 'I Don't Mind That', one of the album’s underrated gems, setting the tone for a run of quality. Then the album hits its first real peak: 'What If?' and 'Call Me Daddy' show Lemar balancing emotional weight and slick R&B delivery. But nothing matches the perfection of the two centrepieces. 'If There's Any Justice' along with 'Time to Grow', are the album’s defining moments and songs I never tire off, while 'Don't Give It Up' keeps the momentum strong. Things get more mixed in the final stretch. 'Complicated Cupid' is decent but not essential, and 'Maybe Just Maybe' is the album’s weakest link, lacking the spark found elsewhere. 'Feels Right' and 'All I Ever Do / My Boo (Part II)' are passable, though not especially memorable. The closer, Lemar’s take on 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love', is an interesting idea that doesn’t fully translate but isn’t a total miss either. Taken as a whole, 'Time to Grow' is carried by several genuinely great songs (a few of them outstanding) and shows why Lemar is still underappreciated. Despite a few dips, the highlights make it a worthwhile and often impressive R&B album. Best Tracks: What If?, Don't Give It Up, If There's Any Justice, Time to Grow 1. Soulman 70 2. Better Than This 60 3. I Don't Mind That 82 4. What If? 90 5. Call Me Daddy 80 6. If There's Any Justice 100 7. Don't Give It Up 90 8. Time to Grow 100 9. Complicated Cupid 74 10. Maybe Just Maybe 55 11. Feels Right 70 12. All I Ever Do / My Boo (Part II) 60 13. I Believe in a Thing Called Love 66