A reviewer for HuffingtonPost.com wrote of Love, Work & Money, “Remember where you were when you heard Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, or Alicia Keys’ Songs in A Minor? Like these two albums, you will remember the moment you heard Love, Work and Money, the stunning debut album from visionary musician Josh Charles. It is, quite simply, an instant classic.” That’s a lot of love, and it likely made Charles blush.

It’s easy to hear what motivated the gush. His music is a throwback to classic R&B, and Love, Work & Money is all about the eternal verities. Charles’ voice is authoritative and soulful enough, his keyboard playing solid, and the songs are clear and easily grasped. They have strong New Orleans roots, but he cleans much of the city’s trademark busyness out of his funk.

But unlike Stevie Wonder, Josh Charles would benefit from a lyricist. Songs in the Key of Life could only come from Stevie, but songs such as “The Waiting Game,” “Pick Up the Pieces” and “I’ll Be There for You” lack the distinctive fingerprints that connect the songs to one person. “The Waiting Game,” for example, has already been the title of two other songs, two movies and a game show, while Wikipedia lists seven songs named “Pick Up the Pieces,” along with an EP and an album. The compositions these words inhabit catch, but the language and lines are too common to make an impression.

If talent speaks louder than words for you, you’ll likely hear Love, Work & Money as the Huffington Post writer did; if the songs matter, then the album marks Josh Charles as someone worth waiting on.