Been There, Done That

An uninspired effort by one of R&B's better stylists.

Brian McKnight has one of those smooth voices that is so typically R&B. Unfortunately, too much of a sweet thing can cause a tooth-ache. Or, in the case of this album, a severe case of ennui.

The album is quite standard fare for its particular genre, but that’s about all it is - standard. The lyrics aren’t particularly awesome - the same love-besotted fantasies which seem to afflict most singers of R&B. So, obviously, we aren’t looking for world-inspiring songs then. So, what next?

Ah, yes. The music. Which might be good for a once-over and then will probably be relegated to the shelves, for use as soft background music during evening parties. That because there’s nothing imaginative here in terms of style or experimentation. From the long list of songs on this album, only a few stick out as above average. These would be "My Kind Of Girl", a peppy, finger-snapping number, and "Still". "Superhero" completely bucks the style of the rest of the album and has an almost-rockish feel, which kinda makes it worse.

McKnight has a good voice and style, but it’s boring. So, if you’re looking for something which resembles Babyface...I suggest you try Babyface himself.

This article was first published on28 Sep 2001.