's second album is deliberately steeped in music tradition; at one point or another, he name-checks , , and ; sings with and ; and borrows songs from . At a time when music, as so often, was flirting with took a leaf from his main immediate influence, , and established a sort of neo- approach with his first significant hit, in 2003-2004. Although it topped out at only number 13 in 's chart, the song established , whose debut album, named after the single, went platinum. There isn't anything as arresting on this collection (the title song, an ordinary love , inched into the Top 20 prior to the album's release), but it is more consistent overall. Producer constructs conventional arrangements that do not draw any special attention to themselves, which is appropriate since all they need to do is serve as background to the real attraction, 's resonant bass baritone. It's that voice that matters, more than the music and more than the songs, although have put together a nicely balanced selection that includes a heartfelt in (one of five songs out of 11 that wrote or co-wrote); the duet a surprisingly successful pairing with ; the dumb-but-no-doubt-sincere sung with ; the rollicking (a video waiting to happen); and the winning revival of ' 1977 hit doesn't quite have the sense of wry humor necessary to make 's (or songwriter 's) his own -- he's still a better technical singer than he is an interpreter -- but he's still young, and improving. ~ William Ruhlmann