Though he's a songwriting wizard, maybe Sean Tillman felt that he'd adequately mined the depths of humor-based funk-pop dipped in a slick coating of sleaze and misogyny. Maybe he simply decided to make a record that would provide great dance party music alongside Raphael Saadiq or Bruno Mars. Turning down the sexual innuendo levels, conjuring classic-soul sounds of the '60s and '70s, and surrounding himself with ace musicians (piano, horns, guitar), Tillman's alter ego Har Mar Superstar now seems ready for prime time. Clearly the guy has R&B pumping through his veins, and writing tunes for the likes of Jennifer Lopez is evidence enough that his talent runs deep. Tillman's own vocals sound more solid than ever on Bye Bye, and they're wrapped in warm, AM-radio fuzz, buoyed by bubbling, funk-filled guitar riffs and smooth saxophone. The opening track, "Lady You Shot Me," sounds like a lost Otis Redding number, with a slow-dance sizzle that kicks into a swaggering hip-shaker.