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Track Listing 1. Brian McKnight Show, The 2. JustAlittleBit 3. ibetchaneva 4. whatI'vebeenwaiting4 5. whenURlovinME 6. neversaygoodbye 7. staytuned 8. next2U 9. ImissU 10. alwaysbeMYbaby 11. babyit'sU 12. while 13. Another You 14. Not Alone
| Details | | Producer: | Brian McKnight | | Distributor: | E1 Distribution (USA) | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes Photographer: Christian Lantry. Brian McKnight's lone set of non-Christmas material for Warner Bros., 2006's TEN, peaked exactly where his previous six proper albums topped out (within the Top Five of Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart), yet he finds himself on E1 (formerly Koch) for EVOLUTION OF A MAN. Though he has written and produced plenty of his own material in the past, he did it all on this one, and presumably provided much of its instrumentation. It's a set that is predominantly slow, sparse, and intimate. Most of the album's last two-thirds offers familiar McKnight fare -- sensitive, soothing backdrops that are at least comforting when not uplifting. Earlier on, as well as in a couple instances deeper into the album, McKnight takes some risks with tracks that contain little more than pattering percussion and twinkling keyboards; here, the sonics are more memorable than the songs, and not much of the album as a whole holds up to repeated listening. Some of McKnight's devoted fanbase will find the album rather fascinating since it's a change of pace, more a collection of loose sketches than a highly polished set.
Industry Reviews [B]allads remain his strong suit, especially the moving 'Another You.' It's signature McKnight: just him on the keyboards singing passionate, heartfelt lyrics.
He fares better with 'Not Alone,' a spacey ballad that Stevie Wonder might admire. -- Grade: B-
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