Eric Benet LOST IN TIME

Lost in Time is an appropriate title for Eric Ben?t's fifth album: it's designed to be deliberately out of time, a tribute to the '70s soul the singer grew up loving. Ben?t has never strayed too far from this template but on Lost in Time it's possible to draw a family tree for each song, sometimes tracing back roots to specific songs: "Paid" grows out of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"; "Feel Good" has the chord progression of "The Best of My Love." When Ben?t isn't saluting individual hits, he's luxuriating in the sounds of Marvin, Prince, Stevie, and Gamble & Huff, replicating the textures of classic smooth soul, perhaps to the detriment of the melodies. Although it would be nice if the songs hooked deeply, sticking around in the brain after they're finished playing, Ben?t has wound up with a seductive pastiche with Lost in Time, the kind of record that might not be deep but shimmers pleasingly on the surface. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

• Format: CD
• Genre: R&B