Brian McKnight – Ten

CD REVIEW

The album title is an unsubtle hint that Brian McKnight is celebrating a decade of albums (he seems to be content to include his 2002 greatest hits compilation, From There To Here, among these ten offerings).

In that time, he has hit the mark more often than not, yet never produced a real soul classic. Ten is not going down into soul history as a classic either, but it is a perfectly good R&B album to spend some time with.

Mr Smooth goes through his usual soul-through-the-ages repertoire, showing that he can stand a measure of comparison with many of the genre’s stars, past and present (especially on the excellent “Find Myself In You” he recalls the legendary Marvin Gaye).

Happily, McKnight has abandoned his habit of over-emoting yodelling. Less happily is the track sequencing that sees the Stevie Wonder-esque ballad “More And More” immediately followed by the one disruptive nod to the apparent contractual obligation to let at least one hip hop gubbin guest star on an R&B album — only to return to the sultry luurve groove next song.

Non-American listeners could have done without McKnight’s flag-waving salute to the soldiers in Iraq, and 15 songs is just a little too much of the same-old-same-old, but otherwise this is a pleasing set.

Listen to: Find Myself In You; Used To Be My Girl; More And More; The Rest Of My Life; Don’t Take Your Love Away.