On their first studio album in eight years,
the Temptations
revert to covers, as they did with multiple full-lengths earlier in the 2000s. This time, the group, still led by lone original member
Otis Williams
, selects mostly contemporary material. They excel with imaginative takes on
Maxwell
's "Pretty Wings,"
Sam Smith
's "Stay with Me," and
John Mayer
's "When I Was Your Man," pouncing on the opportunity to accentuate the latter's allusion to the work of
Motown
peer
Marvin Gaye
. "Waitin' on You" is the best of the few originals, easily mistakable for a (cleaned-up) take on a
Jaheim
hit. With each cover choice popularized by a solo artist, the set is a subtle reminder that vocal groups are nearly extinct. ~ Andy Kellman