Ten (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Brian McKnight (vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards); Brian McKnight; Joe Don Rooney (electric guitar); Jay DeMarcus (piano); Jim Riley, Prescott Ellison (drums); James Matchack (keyboard programming); Rascal Flatts (vocals); Jill Scott.

Audio Mixers: Nealhpogue; Kevin "KD" Davis; Manny Marroquin; Dave Pensado; Phil Tan.

Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; The Backroom Studios, Glendale, CA; The Grip & The Panic Room, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Christian Lanyru.

Not only did contemporary R&B vocalist Brian McKnight move to Warner Brothers for 2006's TEN, but he collaborated with Tim & Bob, one of the highest profile studio teams in the R&B game, for several of the album's tracks. Among these are the standout cuts "Used to Be My Girl," a smooth, sensuous confession of lost love, and the equally smooth and heart-tugging "Unhappy Without You." Tim & Bob's particular spin on lush, vibey production is immediately noticeable, but it is McKnight's emotive vocal performances that really stand out.

The rest of the disc falls into step, offering its share of bedroom ballads and lithe, groove-propelled jams. McKnight weathered a divorce in the early 2000s, and one can hear its aftermath in his lyrical concerns, and in the general vibe of the album, which is both deeply romantic and slightly melancholic. Nonetheless, there's no shortage of sex appeal in the bouncing tracks, or in McKnight's always-expressive singing.

Just about the smartest thing Brian McKnight could do in 2006 is collaborate with Tim & Bob, a veteran do-it-all studio duo who have quietly contributed to many of the best and/or most successful R&B tracks -- including Boyz II Men's "Vibin," Sisqó's "Thong Song," and Bobby Valentino's "Slow Down" -- of the past 12 years. McKnight does exactly that on Ten, an album that features four Tim & Bob collaborations. Two of the songs rank as high as anything from McKnight's past: "Used to Be My Girl" and "Unhappy Without You," despite reading like bitter pre- and post-breakup laments, carry the nuanced bounce and swagger that held up Valentino's first album, and McKnight is as impassioned as ever. In the hands of most other male vocalists, the lyrics would probably sound like embittered rants from an insufferable jerk. It's spry grown folks' R&B. Apart from these tracks, as well as one collaboration with Brian Cox, McKnight handles all the writing and production. From this portion of the album, "Shoulda Been Lovin' You" is the standout, an elegant throwback to Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" where seduction is swapped out for regret and self-flagellation, both of which come off as real talk rather than pitiful wallowing. With 2005's Gemini and this release -- two of his finest albums -- McKnight is on something of a roll. ~ Andy Kellman minimize