The very fact that
Maxwell performed on
MTV Unplugged indicates that he is more ambitious than the average urban soulster, and that suspicion is confirmed by his covers of
Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" and
Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" on the program. Both songs, as well as a selection of songs from his debut,
Urban Hang Suite, are showcased on the EP
MTV Unplugged, which illustrates that he is a skilled, subtle vocalist capable of more nuance than the majority of his contemporaries. As a result,
MTV Unplugged, with its soaring vocalists and sexy, sinewy rhythms, only whets the appetite for his second full-length album.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi