Face 2 Face
Throughout most of the '90s, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds had a  lock on the R&B;/pop charts. Despite his superstar status as a solo  artist, songwriter, and producer, however, his smooth, melodic brand of  R&B; has never been what one might call "hip." In an era of blatant and  brittle R&B;, Face unleashed heartfelt, crafted odes to romance that  might not have been cool, but they were hot. His first album since  1997'sMTV  Unplugged, finds Face upping the 'tude, pumping the synths,  elevating his vocals into a sly falsetto, and letting his hips shake,  bringing edge and energy to his seamless silky soul. Working with  beatmeisters such as the Neptunes (who contribute the percolating and  sexy "There She Goes"), Face fuses his grown-up songcraft toau  courantbeats here. Though, as he shows on the elegant ballad "With  Him," he proves he can still lower the temperature to a nice simmer.--Amy Linden