Love & Life (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Linda Király, Terry Dexter (vocals); Rochad K. Holiday, Michael Feingold, Agape Jerry (guitar); Jordan Katz, Roy Hargrove (trumpet); David Ralicke (trombone); Keith Crouch (synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, percussion, drum programming); Stephen Bruner (bass instrument); Dave Chegwidden (percussion); Wesley McVicker (programming); India Jordan (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Kevin Sucher; Stan Malveaux; Erik Reichers; Alejandro Rodriguez .

Audio Remixer: Kevin Sucher.

Arrangers: Benjamin Wright; Brent Fisher.

While Eric Benet's 2005 release, HURRICANE, reflected the urban contemporary singer's personal struggle following the break-up of his marriage with actress Halle Berry, 2008's LOVE & LIFE represents a new page in Benet's life and career. Positive, celebratory, and imbued with the spirit of classic R&B, the album plays like a ray of soulful sunshine. Lead-off single "You're the Only One" (which shot to number one on the Urban Adult Contemporary charts) drips with a vintage R&B feel, and there are touches of gospel, hip-hop, and jazz throughout the album as well. Whether playing the loverman ("Chocolate Legs") or taking a more meditative turn ("Still I Believe"), Benet is sensual, smooth, and life-affirming on LOVE & LIFE.

Rebounding from the mess of his divorce from Halle Berry -- and the ensuing Hurricane of an album -- Eric Benet returns to what he does best on Love & Life: making music for love-making. Slow and sultry and steeped in Stevie, Marvin, Luther, and especially Quincy Jones-produced Michael Jackson and Prince's forays into quiet storm, Love & Life is a consolidation of Benet's strengths as a seduction artist. Arriving after the turgid turmoil of Hurricane, this is frankly a relief, as Benet demonstrates a lighter touch throughout Love & Life, shedding any suggestion of personal revelation in favor of courting clichés without blushing. For some artists, this might sound like a retreat, but Benet delivers this slinky romantic music with conviction, as if he doesn't quite realize that what he's singing is essentially boudoir boilerplate. Such quiet determination turns Love & Life into effective mood music -- something that might fall apart under close listening, but it was never intended for such scrutiny anyway. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize