Review: Brian McKnight - 'Evolution of a Man' Slow & Steady Seduction

By Mark Edward Nero, About.com ~ If there's one word that sums up Brian McKnight's recording career, it's 'consistent.' If you've heard any of his albums or hit singles, then you know what to expect from him: beautifully sung ballads and mid-tempo tracks that men can relate to and women swoon over. And his latest release, Evolution of a Man, released in the U.S. on Oct. 27, 2009, is no exception. The album may represent an evolution, but that evolution - like Brian's music - is slow and steady. There's no radical changes in his style here, just a few tweaks here and there in order to stay modern and relevant in today's music world.The one song that that most obviously departs from Brian's signature style is the album's very first song, "The Brian McKnight Show," which ties in to his morning radio show and syndicated late night TV talk show. The song's unusually uptempo and sunny for a Brian McKnight ditty, and is notable for being the only one of the 14 tracks on the album where he latches onto the Auto-Tune trend that has nearly run it's course. The song is perfect theme music for a TV show or commercial, but not as a featured track on an album, and fortunately it doesn't represent the album as a whole, it just sets the stage for what's to come. CONTINUE READING...