Ten
A funny thing happens around track three ofTen,Brian McKnight's intricate, nuanced, and very grown-up follow-up to 2005'sGemini: he starts sounding like Daryl Hall. It's a blip overall, but it's indicative of McKnight's chameleon-like way with an R&B song. At times he stands unapologetically in the shadows of Marvin Gaye (see "Shoulda Been Lovin' You"), at times he tries on Luther Vandross's silky tones ("Don't Take Your Love Away"), and at times he leans in a direction that seems carved from a cross-section of the two ("Holdin' On"). The dip into Daryl Hall is a neat addition--a cool swerve that should protect McKnight from predictability charges. More than that, it demonstrates a clear-eyed artistic approach. It doesn't necessarily make him a smooth-singing maverick, though. Tim & Bob, the studio wizards who helped score hits for Bobby Valentino, Donell Jones, and others, cowrote four ofTen'sstrongest tracks, the radio hit "Used To Be My Girl" among them. And Rascal Flatts, the country act, teams up for the flag-waving, well-intentioned "Red, White, and Blue." McKnight's maneuvers, shot through with versatility, haven't failed him yet; on a scale of one to ten,Tenrates a nine.--Tammy La Gorce