Brian McKnight

Fans who care enough to time-travel back to Brian McKnight's self-titled 1992 debut will find that, in the beginning, it was all about amore; the smooth R&B lothario's later hip-hop and jazz leanings seem a long way off. "These songs were written by a young man who grew up in the '70s and '80s," the still-humble balladeer writes in the liner notes. "The music represents those influences on my life and times." Thus, Brian McKnight is best thought of as a shiny, pleasingly rangy Babyface record, or else an escape hatch for soul-leaning record buyers on the brink of boredom with Boyz II Men (they also happened to be on the brink of a worthy new discovery). This 13-song set plays pleasingly and seductively the full way through, with "The Way Loves Goes" and "One Last Cry" best displaying the artist's trademark vocal magic. The final two tracks are given over to McKnight's still sturdy spiritual amore--"Oh Lord" and "My Prayer," steeped in passion, land on the ears like a little slices of heaven. -Tammy La Gorce

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