"I tried to be the French Quincy Jones," DJ Cam says on the bonus disc to his recently released album Soulshine. Immerging himself in such artists as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Jones (he confesses to listening to Jones’ entire output before working on Soulshine), Cam returns to the spotlight with an album completely different than any of his previous recorded works. If 1994’s Underground Vibes is his downtempo album and 1998’s The Beat Assassinated is his hip-hop album, Soulshine is, as the title implies, his neo-soul album.

Having walked away with the title to Best European Hip-Hop Act at the U.K. Hip-Hop Awards last year, Cam doesn’t fully neglect his roots. "Voodoo Child" features Afu Ra over a typical DJ Premier beat. (Read: Hot, but nothing any Premier fan hasn’t heard before.) "Bounce," despite its 7-minute length, is a live, hip-hop instrumental (with trumpet solo and hand claps that don’t sound corny!) that changes up just enough to constantly keep your attention. The hip-hop highlight, though, is "Condor," placing Guru over a live band whose prominent horns sound like an old DJ Krush beat. The live band gives the music a much fuller sound than any synthesized beat ever could. Guru’s slow flow, at times sounding out of place on uptempo Premier tracks on Gang Starr albums, matches perfectly with the laid-back, jazzy sound of the band. Sure, maybe Cam gives a less-than-subtle nod to Premier with a chorus comprised of hip-hop vocal samples, but if you have to emulate someone, you could do a lot worse than Primo.

Despite the strong hip-hop presence, the overall feel of the album is undoubtedly soulful. While still maintaining the relaxed production of Underground Vibes, Cam utilizes live instrumentation for the first time on nearly every track, giving the album a much smoother feel. "Summer in Paris," the first single, is also the most dance-friendly song, but the gorgeous and sultry vocals of European pop star Anggun compel you to stay on the couch and head nod instead of trying to do The Running Man in front of a mirror in your small studio in Manhattan at 12:18 a.m. on a Wednesday. Hypothetically, of course.

The same goes for "He’s Gone," on which Cam (reuniting with Loa Project guest vocalist China) turns Cresa Watson’s obscure soul song "Dead" into a song you’d hear at the end of a 70s blaxploitation film.

Unlike many electronica DJs, Cam clearly tries to evolve and change his style with each album. Depending on live instrumentation instead of his usual programmed beats allows Cam to achieve a richer sound and, let’s face it, a "soul album with canned beats" is like drinking a glass of milk with a spoon: it’ll work, but it just doesn’t make sense. (It’s late. That comparison sucked but, hey, you read reviews for the music, not the similes, right?)

The live band, which Cam said will be the route he’ll use in the future, will hopefully add many new fans to an already-famous DJ. Quincy should be proud.