ALBUM REVIEW / POP

*** Bobby Brown, “Forever,” MCA. “I don’t give a damn if you think I’m crazy,” Bobby Brown sings on “It’s Still My Thing,” the lead song on his first album in five years--and the line pretty much summarizes the independent attitude and approach of Brown that was outlined in his masterful 1988 hit, “My Prerogative.”

This “I do what I want, when I want and however I want” resolve has led to some rocky moments in a career that seemed at times veering toward self-destruction, but Brown has proven to be a surprisingly durable figure on the contemporary pop scene. The Roxbury native has a vocal gift that ultimately transcends the drama.

As derivative and conventional as the production of “Forever” is, Brown’s talent endures. He sounds good and his voice is versatile as he easily slides from finger-popping swagger (“Give It Up,” “Feeling Inside”) to laid-back, suggestive ballads (“My Place”).

But it’s when Brown gets sensitive--even downright mushy--that he really wins you over. The gentleness displayed in his soothing turns on the effortless “She’s All I Need” and the warm “Forever” captures the charisma that made him a star in the first place.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).