{^Better Days} comes less than a year after {$Joe}'s popular breakthrough with {&"Stutter,"} the collaboration he did with {$Mystikal} that turned more than a few {\rap} listeners on to his style of {\urban soul}. It's a sparse and succinct album, no doubt rushed to capitalize on the success of {&"Stutter,"} and the holiday season as well. To begin with, only two songs feature guests, and one of those songs, {&"Let's Stay Home Tonight,"} is a rather straightforward remix for the {\rap} audience featuring {$Petey Pablo}. The other collaboration, {&"Ghetto Child,"} is a bit more ambitious, featuring {$Shaggy} and {$the Boys Choir of Harlem}. Elsewhere, the emphasis is on {$Joe}. There isn't a roll call of big-name producers here (though {$the Neptunes} do make a showing), so {$Joe} is left to carry much of the album's weight. He proves more than capable of the challenge on songs like the lead single, {&"Let's Stay Home Tonight,"} but too often these songs recycle the same songwriting techniques and find {$Joe} revisiting the same motifs over and over. In sum, this plays like a {\pop} album -- a few obvious standout singles and lots of repetitive filler. However, if you're looking for a few quality singles rather than a consistent album, you should find this to be an engaging album, even if it's rushed and ultimately thin on original ideas. [{^Better Days} was also issued in Japan with a bonus DVD, which included all of the videos on {^The Joe Video Collection: I Wanna Know and More Video}.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide