Better Days
Like most good lover men, Joe knows you can unzip more flies with honey than with hassles. This understated but seriously gifted singer/songwriter may not enjoy the superstar profile or recognition of some of his fellow R&B; Romeos, but as his fourth CD,Better Days, proves, what he lacks in persona he more than makes up for in persuasive and sensual songs. There's a gentleness and ease in Joe's smoothed-out, sexy, and decidedly grown-up brand of R&B.; Listen to the way his silky vocals glide over the ever-so-syncopated keyboards on "I Like Sexy Girls." Or hear how Joe concocts a romantic and realistic evening on the undulating single "Let's Stay Home Tonight." Even when Joe is trying to get his mack on, he remains a gentleman. It's that soft-spoken, from-the-heart approach, along with well-crafted tracks, that makeBetter Daysa keeper.--Amy Linden