Justin Guarini could not
have made an entrance with the R&B thug persona mentality
that has dominated much of the genre for the last five years.
Instead, the seemingly mild-mannered singer is attempting to
create a niche for himself by mixing pop and R&B much like
fellow American Idol Kelly Clarkson.
The album opens with the mid-tempo “One Heart Too Many,”
while riding into the Underdogs produced “I Saw Your
Face.” Here, the singer recycles the same mood Tyrese
created with “How You Gonna Act Like That.” The singer
rebounds with the Babyface-produced “How Will You Know.”
Here, Babyface creates a musical triumph that weaves in the
best sensibilities of R&B and pop into a cohesive,
satisfying package. “Be a Heartbreaker” shines slightly
while the Brian McKnight-produced “Conditions of My
Heart,” convincingly and capably covers the
recovering-from-bad-relationships angle.
The mistakes come in the unfavorable choice of uptempo tracks.
RCA could have taken a back seat and allowed Justin to remain
a balladeer or formulated midtempo tracks which could have
used assistance from the Neptunes. Kelly Clarkson shines along
with Guarini on the duet, "Timeless." Their voices
blend perfectly making a grand preview to their upcoming
movie. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out,
but Justin Guarini's debut album offers much more than his
current competion, which includes Frankie J. and Ginuwine.
Rating: B