Move over Luther. Maxwell - would you mind making a little room? There's a new voice in town and he's singing his way to the forefront. "Eric Benét" is set to duplicate the feat of Deborah Cox and break through with his sophomore effort, "A Day In The Life." Resisting the urge to join one of the many "crews" out there, Eric has held his ground, and in doing so is gives us one of the few fresh voices in R&B. And there is a hunger out there for such a voice.

Three years ago, Eric's solo debut, "True To Myself," languished as his label went through internal upheaval, and few got the chance to discover, much less appreciate, his work. After going through much the same experience in '92 with his band "Benét," which got lost in the shuffle of another internal label battle, we're lucky that Eric loved music enough to persevere and go back into the studio to make this album. Eric co-wrote and produced the songs on this album with the likes of Wyclef Jean and Brian Morgan (SWV, Nicole), and was joined by Faith Evans on the first single, a cover of the Toto hit "Georgy Porgy." Me'Shell Ndegeocello pitched in on "Ghetto Girl." The latter title comes from his experiences growing up in a depressed part of Milwaukee. He lived in the midst of a life where "the crack house was next door and the ho house across the street."

Yet, he comes from a large and loving family, his father a classical-loving police detective and a mom who literally sang out her commands to him, his three older sisters and older brother. While dad listened to Chopin, his sisters were giving him an earful of Stevie Wonder. Echoes of Stevie can be heard in his music.

Eric spent his early years as part of a top 40 cover band, singing the hits of the seventies and eighties, but his music is all nineties. Then he formed the ill-fated "Benét," along with his sister Lisa and cousin George Nash Jr. George still works with Eric along, with Demonte Posey, as part of his "home team."

Tragedy also struck in a more personal way when his girlfriend was killed in an automobile accident, leaving him a single parent of a young daughter. For a couple of years he retreated from life before finally returning to the studio to record his first album, "True To Myself." He commented, "There's a healing and empowering element in music people haven't totally tapped into..." For Eric it seems to have been part of the process that took him back into the studio to do his music his way, in spite of the radio demands for rap and hip-hop.

He sent demo tapes to a friend, Alison-Ball Gabriel at Warner, who told him, "Whatever you're on, stay on it!" A contract and his first album soon followed. Although it didn't hit big, Eric toured with Erykah Badu across the U.S., Europe and Japan, and in spite of the internal problems that hindered the promotion of his first album, he went back into the studio to produce the upcoming "Day In The Life." Like his first album it contains a mix of soul, funk, and solid R&B that arose out of thoughts and ideas from a daily journal he kept.

Although he didn't go into the studio feeling he had to make a "better" album, he does acknowledge the "...process of maturation, of growth as a writer and performer." His new album shows signs of that growth, with impressive lyrics and a deeper, more soulful, singing style that will have the ladies swooning and men identifying with his feelings.

Artist:	Eric Benét
Title:	"A Day in the Life"
Label:	Warner Brothers
Reviewed By:	Donn Jehs
Rating:

From the opening track I was hooked. "That's Just My Way," with it's silky seductive lyrics that can be taken several ways, introduces the one constant on all the tracks, a kind of staccato delivery that is in tune with the beat of the music and a lover's heart. While it never comes close to rap, it does give the music an edge that updates his sound of R&B from the overly smooth sounds of his predecessors. Nor does it seem affected as it does when older singers attempt to jump on the hip-hop bandwagon. The first single emphasizes that sound in the chorus of "Georgy Porgy." This cover of the Toto song is a duet with Faith Evans, and I can't blame him or the label for picking this song as the first single. It's catchy, infectious and with the added power of Evans will help garner significant airplay. Although there are several cuts that outshine this one, it makes sense to trade on known quantities - a recognizable song and name. If it exposes more people to Eric's album, the tradeoff is worth it. "Spend My Life With You," another duet, this time with Tamia, competes with the equally powerful ballad "Come As You Are," as the most romantic track on the album. The background vocals carry the main theme as Eric and Tamia wind their vocals around them like lovers entwined in a passionate embrace. The insistent, persistent beat of the music matches the refrain, "Tell me what you feel Babe," on "Something Real," which has a lot of the same lyrical feel of the opening cut, but is more forceful and funky. "Loving Your Best Friend" seems a bit out of place from the rest of the cuts given its theme of fooling around with his girlfriend's best friend. However, the lyrics are once again very pointed and then it's tit for tat as the tables turn. Kind of the ultimate knock, knock joke. This song should have a lot of crossover appeal and begs for a video. The vibes of Roy Ayers and his scat on "When You Think Of Me" makes this straight up smooth jazz number worth several listens as Eric gloats on this last laugh song. The lyrics, and especially the refrain lines, are so poignantly cruel - "Do you feel like dying? Do you break down crying? Do you fall down on your knees?" - that every scorned lover (and that target audience is assuredly large) should take this up as their theme song. "Lamentation" uses the acoustic guitar of Eddie "Spanky" Alford and a 40's megaphone-like refrain to give a unique and doleful sound to this tale of tribulations. It's followed by the other cover on the album, Kansas' "Dust In The Wind" and it blew me away. Opening with the sound of the wind and the refrain sounding as if from a distance, Eric imparts a ton of feeling to this brotherhood song. I couldn't help thinking of "Saturday Night Fever" when I heard the opening notes of "Why You Follow Me," and its salsa sound wouldn't have been out of place in the movie given it's turn from disco to latin rhythm at the end. "Come As You Are" is the most moving, soulful piece on the album, and is the kind of song that Luther Vandross would love to have to done. I doubt he could put any more passion into the song than Eric does. A shoulder to cry on, lean on, and ultimately cuddle on, is the theme of "Love The Hurt Away." When friends should become lovers. Echoes of Stevie as Eric reaches for the high notes. The strongest, most forthright lyrics come on "Ghetto Girl," his ode to the strong women who live and survive and succeed in the ghetto. The final song on the album is his simple, yet moving, tribute to his girlfriend, the mother of his daughter and a "Love Of My Own. "Eric Benét" combines the talents of an excellent lyrical bent with a sweet, soulful voice to give us "soul for the next millenium." Take "A Day In The Life" and appreciate it.