Full Moon
On her first CD in three years, the newly married and pregnant Brandy sounds confident and assured and lets us know that she has found her man (even if it takes a numbing 17 tracks). The stately ballad "He Is" shimmers with unabashed, but never treacly, adoration, as Brandy huskily sighs, "Prince Charming, my angel, my king, my friend." It's the sound of a woman in love, and that sentiment guides this satisfying CD's strongest cuts, fromMike City's tangy title track to the snaky seduction of "Apart," which burnishes Brandy's vocals with a metallic glow. Most of the CD was produced by longtime collaborator Rodney Jerkins, but he overloads Brandy's plate with bombastic, predictable beats that do little to draw listeners in.Full Moontruly glows when the intensity is muted and emotion is in the forefront.--Amy Linden