*** Luther Vandross, “Secret Lover,” Epic. Vandross...
*** Luther Vandross, “Secret Lover,” Epic. Vandross writes so convincingly about loneliness and the downside of romance that his nickname should be the Heartbreak Kid. Love-gone-wrong may be his favorite topic, but Vandross handles it in such an elegant fashion that it’s easy to forgive his frequent forays into such well-trodden emotional territory.
He can still throw you a curve now and then. Rap artist Spinderella’s sassy homegirl asides on “I Can’t Wait No Longer” represent a stylistic leap for Vandross, although the track itself ends on too perfunctory a note to give off sufficient sparks. More satisfying is the funky, low-down groove of “I Can Make It Better,” a surprisingly earthy track from such an uptown kind of guy.
In the end, Vandross is at his best when it comes to conveying pain and pathos, as he does on “Nobody to Love.” This is the kind of song that sums up what Vandross’ fans admire most about him. It’s the way he can dive into a heartbreaking ballad’s sea of tears without drowning in melodrama. An elegant kind of talent, indeed.
Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).
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The album title is “Your Secret Love” not “Secret Lover”
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