The album earned largely positive reviews from music critics who complimented Richardson's vocal and produding talents, though some found that 2:35 PM was uneven and formulaic. The album debuted at number 65 on the US Billboard 200 and number 8 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. While none of its singles managed to reach the Billboard Hot 100, lead single "Keep on Pushin'" made it to number 20 on the Adult R&B Airplay, with follow-up "Not Like This" peaking at number 36 on the same chart.
Background
In 1999, Richardson released his solo debut album, Country Boy, through Universal Records. The project was met with mild success and the singer soon was dropped by the label.[1] In December 2001, he signed with Hollywood Records.[1] Less limited in terms of control and direction, Richardson took the lead and set the pace on his second album, producing and writing the majority of the material which he described as "old- school soul with a contemporary bent."[1] In addition, he consulted Raphael Saadiq as well as Slum Village, Mike City and The Underdogs as well as Darren Lighty and Eddie F as guest producers.[1] The latter duo produced the solo
version of the Richardson-penned "More Than a Woman," a song which Richardson initially performed as a duet with Angie Stone on her Mahogany Soul (2001) album.[1]
Beccy Lindon of The Guardian praised the album with four out of possible five stars, saying "from his granular vocal in "Keep on Pushin'" to the lover's promise of "Cross My Heart", he sounds like a soul legend in the making."[3]AllMusic's Alex Henderson rated the album three stars out of five, found that 2:35 PM "isn't in a class with Patterson or D'Angelo's best releases; actually, it's mildly uneven and inconsistent. However, the CD's best tracks demonstrate that Richardson is capable of excellence when he puts his mind to it [...] Unfortunately, 2:35 PM also has its share of material that is competent without being terribly memorable, but when Richardson does hit the mark, it is obvious that the R&B world should continue to keep an eye on the North Carolina native".[2]
PopMatters critic Mark Anthony Neal found that 2:35 PM was "less moody – less country or southern as Outkast would put it – than Country Boy, but where Richardson trades off on some of that Joe Simon and Johnnie Taylor flow, the disc is as close to that down-home R&B that mainstream pop has seen in some time [...] More artful than folks like Joe and Gerald Levert, but possessing less vocal range and talent than Maxwell, Calvin Richardson belongs to the lunch-pail wing of contemporary male R&B singers — passionate, real, thoughtful, and hardworking.[5]Vibe editor Ernest Hardy felt that 2:35 PM "treads overly familiar romantic ground at times, with no interesting twists on the subject matter. Coupled with the almost unvaried midtempo, the collection tiptoes on the edge of monotony [but] Richardson clearly has the craft of soul music down, and when he decides to dig deeper lyrically, he'll strike gold."[4]
Commercial performance
2:35 PM debuted and peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard 200 in the week of September 27, 2003,[6] becoming Richardson's first and only project to date to chart on the Billboard 200.[6] The album also reached number eight on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, becoming his first top ten entry on the chart.[7]Billboard ranked 2:35 PM 95th on its 2003 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums listing.[8]
