November 20, 2005 @ 11:00 pm

Ginuwine - Back II Da Basics (Sony Urban/Epic)

by: Imani Dawson

For Ginuwine, the metamorphosis from horny bachelor into smoldering balladeer is still in progress. His fifth release, Back II da Basics - which builds on his silky vocals while keeping the sexual innuendo intact - proves he's slowly but surely growing up.

But the soul man misfires when he attempts to cast a youthful sheen on his maturing career as on the generic "The Club." Unlike his earlier tempos produced by Timbaland, these bass-heavy joints disrupt and otherwise tender collection. Similarly, wanting, "She's Like" mindlessly borrows from his 2003 ode to denim, "In Those Jeans," with inane lyrics like "I'm diggin' your 7 jeans and your Baby Phat."

Most notably, Ginuwine challenges the typical bump-and-grind repertoire of his younger R&B contemporaries by differentiating between love and lust. On "Far Away," his whisper-soft tenor soars into falsetto as he details the agony of a dying relationship. "Betta Half" is more optimistic as he praises the woman who completes him to soft, tinkling keys. Despite the occasional growing pains, when Ginuwine acts his age, it's a graceful and erotic experience.

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Article tags: Ginuwine, Back II Da Basics 

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