The restless R&B crooner Anderson .Paak takes a breather  with “Ventura” after the hard-hitting “Oxnard,” which took a noticeable departure from the breezy neo-soul heard on 2014’s “Venice” and the critically acclaimed “Malibu,” released Jan. 15, 2016.

“Ventura,” .Paak’s fourth studio album, released April 12, comes just five months after 2018’s effort, “Oxnard.”

“Ventura’s” namesake is uncoincidentally next to Oxnard, California, .Paak’s birthplace.

.Paak trades aggression and political tinge for the smooth blend of hip hop and soul that got him noticed in the first place.

“Come Home” is the first track on the album and comes with a double meaning, referencing his return to soul music as well as begging a former lover to come back to him. The song features rapper André 3000 and his rapid-fire style in a way only Three Stacks can spit.

.Paak enlists Motown icon Smokey Robinson on “Make It Better,” the second track on the album and second single released, March 14, after “King James” was released April 4.

.Paak opens up on his personal life regarding his relationships with women on “Ventura” on tracks like “Make It Better,” a strong highlight from the album’s 39-minute runtime with its bouncy cadence and smooth production.

.Paak and a woman in question have fallen out of love, but .Paak is yearning to mend it and make it better. He “pumps the brakes” on “Reachin’ 2 Much” with vocals contributed by singer Lalah Hathaway.

The girl .Paak is with is looking to be saved by him, something he isn’t willing to do. .Paak feels the need to brag a little on “Yada Yada,” a right very much earned considering how far he’s come since his days as Breezy Lovejoy, his first pseudonym.  

One of the most interesting collaborations on “Ventura” is with the late rapper Nate Dogg who passed away in 2011. .Paak crafts album closer “What Can We Do?” around Nate Dogg’s lines about what to do after a relationship has broken off. Toward the end of the song, Nate Dogg leaves the track as .Paak calls out to him.

The conversation is similar to what Kendrick Lamar did at the end of 2015’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” on “Mortal Man.” Lamar crafted an interview between himself and west coast legend Tupac Shakur, who was infamously gunned down in 1996. Lamar took the audio from a 1994 interview with the Swedish radio show P3 Soul with Shakur.

Dr. Dre helmed production on this record and “Oxnard” seemed to have given Paak more leeway to work. The production is looser and more organic than the tight punch of “Oxnard.” “Ventura” doesn’t bite off more than it can chew; .Paak sticks to his guns and picks up where “Malibu” left off without missing a beat. What “Ventura” lacks in ambition, it makes up for in pure, silky smooth funk and R&B.