Eric Benet: The One
Jordan House
For 16 years it seems Eric Benet’s always there with a new release, but it’s been a while since we’ve had reason to be grateful. The best since - and most reflective - since the R&B crooner’s 1996 debut, his sixth release is a primer for getting better with time. Lush soul and funk orchestrations accented with plenty of brass keeps the proceedings top-notch. Thanks to such producers as George Nash Jr. and Osunlade, Benet keeps it fun, light, and romantic for summer. Blue light ballads are few but swoon-worthy. Radio pop gets a perfunctory nod for the kiddies. Overall, lyrics are heavy on relationship fair but infectious choruses and a skyscraping tenor largely save it from too many clichéd tropes. A Benet classic. (4 out of 5 stars)