All right, full disclosure here: I haven’t listened to a full-length R&B album in its entirety since Shai’s 1992 effort, …If I Ever Fall In Love. So, basically, what I’m saying is that not only has it been a while for me, but also that the bar has already been set impossibly high. I mean, how can you top an album with song titles like “Sexual,” “Sexual Interlude” and “Flava?”
Epic.
So when the forthcoming Lost In Time (due out in November) by Grammy-nominated soul man Eric Benet came into my possession, I was skeptical at best. It’s easy to question the decision-making abilities of a guy who cheated on his then-wife Halle Berry and chose the celebrity defense du jour of sex addiction in an unsuccessful attempt to explain it away. But Benet has one thing going for him that many of his celebrity partners in infidelity lack (well, two if you count that he was born in Milwaukee, which I do): The guy is actually pretty talented.
Benet’s fifth album, Lost In Time, is a surprisingly successful throwback to the carefree soul sound of the 1970s. The tunes meander from somber tales of love lost to disco-tinged odes to the “Good Life,” and at times it can feel downright cheesy. But that’s pretty much the idea, according to Benet. “I just wanted to almost stand there at the door of corny,” says Benet, “but not walk in.” And throughout the effort, what keeps the music from dropkicking Benet straight through the “corny door” is the artist’s undeniably strong and surprisingly versatile voice.
The single, “Sometimes I Cry,” has already attained what I can only imagine is the pinnacle of R&B kudos. Imprisoned rapper Lil Wayne wrote in a letter posted on weezythanxyou.com that the song was currently one of his favorite songs to listen to in jail. To which Benet responded, “That was dope.” I didn’t even make that up.
Once again, the jailhouse musings of Mr. Wayne are right on, as this track shines with its heartfelt realization that sometimes it is easier to say you’re over someone than it is to actually convince yourself. Truly on display here is Benet’s beautiful falsetto, which soars effortlessly upward as the song progresses.
In other spots, the album succeeds with a little help from some well-selected guest vocalists. The silky smooth “Feel Good” features a spirited cameo by Faith Evans, and the underprivileged anthem “Paid” showcases Benet and Eddie Levert of the O’Jays doing their best Isaac Hayes impression. And, of course, there’s the proverbial getting-busy jam “Take It” for those who were worried that there wouldn’t be any baby makin’ music.
Aside from a few moments where I had to turn down the volume on my work computer for fear that a passerby would think I was watching classy porn, this album is an enjoyable listen. This release should at the very least solidify Benet as one of the more consistent, if not underrated, R&B artists in the industry today.
