Ginuwine: Bachelor
Despite a name that suggests he's not in it for the long run, this 24-year-old Washington, DC native is attempting to set the standard for the premillenium loverman. He's got washboard abs to go with serious pecs, an earnest if not terribly flamboyant voice, and a sense of subtlety. His work is pleasantly free of the overwrought longing and distress that diminish most quiet storm efforts. Ginuwine's first CD is produced by Timbaland and features his trademark sparse soundscapes, which aim to support rather than overpower the frontman. In Maxwellian mode, Ginuwine has the sense to ask for, rather than declare, his carnal intentions, and he does so in songs that hold up to repeated listening. Ginuwine has--well--genuine musical merit.--Martin Johnson