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. minimize