Evolution of a Man

The R&B veteran’s latest disc opens with what amounts to an ad for his syndicated radio show, but elsewhere Evolution of a Man is far less crass: ”I just wanna make sure that if we do this, we don’t regret it,” he sings on ”Just a Little Bit,” expressing a sentiment rare among the slow-jam set. McKnight’s goal has never been to thrill á la younger peers like The-Dream, and occasionally here he could use some edge; ”Never Say Goodbye” sounds like bad Peter Cetera. He fares better with ”Not Alone,” a spacey ballad that Stevie Wonder might admire. B-

DOWNLOAD THIS: ”Not Alone”

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