Special Occasion

There is an excellent advantage to owning a Bobby Valentino disc and it is this: no matter how many other discs you've shuffled it with, you will never get confused as to who it is you're listening to, because Bobby V.--V. Tino, if you will--name-checks himself consistently throughout every track. Special Occasion is no exception, but it also earns its keep by way of solid, sexed-up R&B. When the limber-voiced ladies' man isn't strutting his stuff à la the dancefloor-ready "Checking for Me," a full-on stomper about a lady who likes to pretend she doesn't have an eye out for Bobby V., he's pleading his case to a lover in dire need of reassurance ("Turn The Page," "Home is Where You Belong," "Soon As I Get Home"). What binds these tracks is a hard-bitten refusal to skimp on the passion; no matter how quick the tempo or quirky the beat ("Tired of Being Alone" is especially exotic), Valentino delivers with all the fire he can muster. He also has a flair for recalling his mentors without being derivative--check out his Jeffrey Osborne moment on "If I had My Way." --Tammy La Gorce

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