EMOTIONAL...

Personnel includes: K-Ci (vocals); Jojo (vocals); Baby Face (acoustic guitar, keyboards, programming, background vocals); Michael Ripoll (guitar); Blacq Rose (guitar, keyboards, bass, programming, background vocals); Mike Smooth (guitar, bass, programming); Jeffrey Freeman, Bill Meyers, Craig Xavier Brockman, (keyboards); Devon Dobson (programming); Tanga Ray, Baby Face (background vocals); Rodney Jerkins. Producers: Rodney Jerkins, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds. A separate duo even when their group Jodeci was dominating the R&B charts in the mid-'90s, Cedric and Joel Hailey are obviously comfortable in each other's musical company. And this empathy shows in the pair's 2002 offering EMOTIONAL, the follow-up to 2000's X. While there's no obvious standout track here, the album functions as a primer in soft soul stylings, with the multi-layered vocals and lush harmonies punctuated by the pair's occasional soulful rasps. Love-man themes dominate, and with titles such as "This Very Moment," Love Me Carefully," and "Say Yes," the duo stake out their emotional terrain and navigate the sophisticated arrangements with assurance and aplomb. Although their days as a chart threat may be behind them, there's enough here to guarantee these smooth soul veterans a place in the hearts of a grateful boudoir-bound listening public. And like fine brandy, their vocals just get better with age.