By Nicholas Hautman
Special to The Chronicle

Justin Timberlake took a seven-year break in between the releases of ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’ (2006) and ‘The 20/20 Experience’ (2013). Now, only seven months later, he’s back with yet another album, the second installment of the “Experience,” subtitled “2 of 2.”

While the first chapter gave us some of JT’s most successful and recognizable singles (“Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors”), the rest of the album offers a lot to be desired. The pace was significantly slower than what his fans have been accustomed to. Fortunately, the upbeat and experimental second installment takes listeners back to the Justin that we’ve all grown to love.

Timberlake has already released two songs – “Take Back the Night” and “TKO” – but the album is packed with other numerous singles that have chart-topping potential. One of the biggest contenders, titled “Murder,” features Jay Z. The pair previously collaborated on “Suit & Tie” and “Holy Grail,” a track off of Jay’s epic summer release, “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” in addition to traveling the country on their Legends of the Summer tour. In “Murder,” Jay raps about Yoko Ono and John Lennon, while Timberlake croons over a hip-hop rhythm infused with big band brass instruments.

Musically, every track sounds different. The country twang on “Drink You Away” hints at Timberlake’s Tennessee roots, “True Blood” feels like a modern day “SexyBack” and “You Got It On” proves that Timberlake might just be the Marvin Gaye of the 21st century.

The album closes with two slow jams, “Not a Bad Thing” and a hidden track titled “Pair of Wings.” During the chorus of “Not a Bad Thing,” Timberlake sings, “Don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with me/ ’Cause you might f— around and find your dreams come true with me.” The track, despite its simple composition, demonstrates JT’s impressive artistry. In fact, it easily stands out as one of the best tracks of the entire “Experience,” which clocks in at an impressive two and a half hours in total when merged with the first disc.

“The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2” is in stores on Sept. 30.