Just released is this new Grammy-nominated and fourth album from Eric Benet. Now I’m not a great fan of R&B but if you are then you may find something here to row your boat.

First song ‘Love Patience & Time’ is gospel tinged with an wonderful opening vocal burst but then wanders off onto more mediocre ground. ‘The Hunger’ ups the ante somewhat with a stronger beat, pacier delivery and a much more expressive vocal. Pleasant female backing vocals, a decent melody and lyrics make this one of the album’s highlights. ‘Don’t Let Go’ is rescued by another set of great backing vocals and interesting instrumentation but, like several songs here, it’s a tad bland. ‘Everlove’ is a duet with Terry Dexter but I can’t help feeling that I’ve heard it all before as it crawls along.  ‘Weekend Girl’ lifts the gloom with more pace, a jazzy vibe (with strong bursts of brass) and an overall lighter ambience. The album is lifted out of the bin by the final three of the last four tracks which border on R&B excellence. ‘Spanish Fly’ has a funky Latin feel, while ‘Sing To Me’ and ‘One More Tomorrow’ rank as some of the best of the genre I have heard for some time.

Killer and filler are present in equal proportions. Lyrically the album is hard to fault but in terms of melody and emotional pull it falls short and doesn’t involve or move the listener as much as it should.

3.5/5