Eric Benet - Lost in Time Review

Paying homage to the past can be a tricky proposition. Do you risk losing your contemporary footing? Is there still a market for feel-good R&B? Eric Benét skillfully maneuvers the balancing act and delivers a strong set in the process with this spirited nod to the '70s soul/funk that has influenced his career. Recorded with live musicians, "Lost in Time" takes its tone from the lush hit ballad "Sometimes I Cry." Accented by a Benét falsetto reminiscent of such high-toned tenors as Smokey Robinson, the emotional song elicited an early shout-out from a then-jailed Lil Wayne, who called the track one of his favorite jams. Another album cornerstone is "Always a Reason," whose lilting melody recalls '70s group Blue Magic. On the breezy "Feel Good," Faith Evans reminds fans of the duo's memorable 1999 pairing on Toto's "Georgy Porgy." Another inspired partnership comes into play on the midtempo "Take It," heightened by the sexy banter between Benét and Chrisette Michele. Taking a 180-degree turn, Benét pairs his crooner-smooth vocals with the soulful grit of O'Jays legend Eddie Levert on "Paid." Here's to bringing back feel-good R&B....full text Eric Benet could go on to win 10 Grammys, save a boatload of drowning children and win the Nobel Peace Prize, but to most people, he will forever live in infamy as the guy who cheated on Halle Berry during the period when the actress was at her Oscar-winning peak. Because of this fact, some people may never give Benet’s music a chance, even though he certainly isn’t the first and won’t be the last philandering musician.

Of course, there’s a sizable chunk of people who have no idea who Benet is besides Halle’s ex-husband. After all, the guy’s never had a major crossover pop hit. In mainstream circles, he’s always been below the radar. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been successful or made music that wasn’t worth checking out, though. Over the course of five albums in 15 years (yes, he was making albums prior to meeting Halle) he’s drifted into neo-soul territory (with 1997’s platinum-selling A Day in the Life), wandered into adult contemporary pop (the David Foster-helmed Hurricane-essentially an hour-long apology to Halle), and his latest album, Lost in Time, is a tribute to soul music of the past-specifically the Seventies, the time period when the 44-year old singer first got bitten by the singing bug.

Eric is certainly a capable songwriter and vocalist, but I can’t help but feel a bit of a disconnect when I listen to Lost in Time. The problem with tribute albums (or covers albums) is that the artist too often finds themselves shoehorned into a style (or a song) so closely identified with a particular artist or era that they wind up losing their own originality in the process. There’s a little disco boogie here, a little sweet Philly soul there-but there’s barely a touch of individuality to be found on most of these songs.


Benet’s major go-to period of inspiration for this album appears to be the early-Seventies sound defined by producer Thom Bell and groups like The Delfonics and The Stylistics. Songs like “Never Want to Live Without You” and “Always a Reason” highlight Benet’s creamy tenor and also find him reaching for his rarely-used falsetto. Although he’s no Russell Thompkins Jr., Eric more than holds his own on these songs. His other default appears to be upbeat disco, as evidenced by songs like “Feel Good” and “Good Life.”...full text Do you risk losing your contemporary footing? Is there still a market for feel-good R&B? Eric Benét skillfully maneuvers the balancing act and delivers a strong set in the process with this spirited nod to the '70s soul/funk that has influenced his career. Recorded with live musicians, "Lost in Time" takes its tone from the lush hit ballad "Sometimes I Cry." Accented by a Benét falsetto reminiscent of such high-toned tenors as Smokey Robinson, the emotional song elicited an early shout-out from a then-jailed Lil Wayne, who called the track one of his favorite jams. Another album cornerstone is "Always a Reason," whose lilting melody recalls '70s group Blue Magic. On the breezy "Feel Good," Faith Evans reminds fans of the duo's memorable 1999 pairing on Toto's "Georgy Porgy." Another inspired partnership comes into play on the midtempo "Take It," heightened by the sexy banter between Benét and Chrisette Michele. Taking a 180-degree turn, Benét pairs his crooner-smooth vocals with the soulful grit of O'Jays legend Eddie Levert on "Paid." Here's to bringing back feel-good R&B....full text