Case - Personal Conversation (1999)

Case's sophomore album followed in the footsteps of his debut, and perhaps surprisingly, entirely avoided the sophomore slump by scoring three hit singles, the biggest resulting in his first Top 10 pop and chart-topping R&B hit, "Faded Pictures." Case's rich baritone, coupled with more sophisticated, adult contemporary-leaning quiet storm, results in an earnest and personal album. Case scores higher when the songs are mid- to up-tempo, but the slow numbers, especially towards the end, tend to meander. Not to say that they are bad, but a little less interesting than the others. There are some fine moments on this set, most notably the album's biggest hit, the elegant and poetic duet with Joe, "Faded Pictures," as well as its follow-up, "Happily Ever After." Case comes off not as the typical over-the-top R&B crooner, and especially not as an R&B lothario, but as a sentimental and earnest singer, who delivers his sincere messages straight from the heart. Perhaps this can explain this singer's enduring appeal, which has resulting in his being one of the most consistent and successful R&B singers to have emerged in the 1990s.
© Jose Promis /TiVo