CETERA CHILLS

“SOLITUDE/SOLITAIRE.” Peter Cetera. Full Moon. Cetera’s cool, glassy vocals were an integral part of Chicago’s sound, providing a contrast to the band’s hot, blaring instrumental attack. But outside the context of the group, his vocals seem chillingly robotic. Part of the problem with his second solo album is that the songs lean heavily on techno/rhythm riffs that encourage a clipped, bloodless vocal style. He conveys more warmth on the album’s two ballads: “Glory of Love,” a generic Chicagoesque tune that’s inexplicably become a No. 1 single, and “Next Time I Fall,” a tender duet with Amy Grant. For the most part, though, Cetera doesn’t fare so well without Chicago; we’ll see how Chicago fares without Cetera when “Chicago 18” is released this fall.