Tweet

He was everywhere in the 80`s. Then he abruptly dropped out of view. Now, he`s back with a bang and squarely in the spotlight with his new album.

`Renaissance` by Lionel Ritchie (Universal)

He was everywhere in the 80`s. Then he disappeared. Caught in the middle of a messy divorce and falling album sales, the quintessential romantic balladeer of the 80`s has finally made a comeback.

Lionel Ritchie is back with his caramel-drenched vocals in Renaissance. This album falls in the category of soft rock. Formed by melody rather than rhythm, the songs soak up Ritchie`s rich honeyed voice.

The acoustic influenced, `How Long` sets the tone for the rest of the romantic album. There is the Latino `Cinderella` and the soft, beguiling `Angel`. The romantic ballads like `Here is my heart`, `Piece of my heart` and `Wasted time` reinforce Ritchie`s reputation as the ace balladeer of his time.

Rating: Ritchie`s come a long way since his days as the lead singer of the 70`s band, The Commodores. His music is mellow and maturer. A good album.