As a member of 'NSync, Justin Timberlake [ tickets ] fronted innocuous love songs like "Girlfriend" and "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You." Then The Neptunes provided a musical landscape for his debut solo album, "Justified," that features horns, obvious verse/chorus structures and danceable beats.

Now, the flaxen-haired singer is straight up telling women what he wants in a more beat-driven style on his sophomore effort, "FutureSex/LoveSounds." The Neptunes are long gone, replaced mostly by Timbaland.

The 12 songs on "FutureSex/LoveSounds" roll together on the CD like a special club mix. That makes for a perfect soundtrack for a nightclub, but each song taken individually sounds out of context. Perhaps that's why "SexyBack," featuring Timbaland, doesn't necessarily work as a single.

The album kicks off with the title track, which possesses a bass line similar to Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." With its distorted pre-chorus vocals, the track sounds like a dizzying fairground.

Special guests abound on "FutureSex/LoveSounds." Timbaland--who produced and sang bass on "Cry Me a River" from "Justified"--returns as a singer on "SexyBack." Rapper T.I. appears on the stomping "My Love." Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am sings on "Damn Girl." Finally, unlikely Oscar winners Three 6 Mafia let loose on "Chop Me Up."

But the special guests do not help heal the monotonous nature of the album, which relies on musical textures rather than strong tunes to hook the listeners in. For example, "LoveStoned" builds up with a pre-chorus that never goes anywhere.

A Timberlake release would not be complete without his deft beatboxing skills, found on songs like "My Love" and "LoveStoned." It's impressive but doesn't hold the album together.