Audio CD review:
Babyface - Face2Face

Babyface - Face2Face

Band: Babyface Title: Face2Face Rating: Release Date: 11 September, 2001 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Outside In/Inside Out 2: There She Goes 3: What If 4: Stressed Out 5: Baby's Mama 6: How Can U Be Down 7: Work It Out 8: I Keep Callin' 9: With Him 10: Wish U Was My Girl 11: U Should Know 12: Don't Take It So Personal 13: Still In Love With U 14: Lover And Friend

Editoral Review 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. Throughout most of the '90s, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds had a lock on the R&B/pop charts. " 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's MTV 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 to au courant beats 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 .. You can see a complete list of all Babyface discography, or go back to the Babyface tabs