Daryl Hall & John Oates (U-watch)
With last year's No. 1 adult-contemporary single "Do It for Love" (originally featured on their Behind the Music greatest-hits compilation but also included here), Hall & Oates scored their first hit since 1990. The two continue their promising comeback with their 16th studio album, easily H&O's finest work since their '80s heyday. With effortlessly melodic pop and smooth, subtle harmonies, the disc could spark renewed interest in this duo. Tracks such as "Heartbreak Time," a vintage Hall & Oates ballad in the mode of "One on One," have a timeless quality that is all too rare among today's trend-conscious acts. Hall's comfortingly familiar voice hasn't diminished at all; he remains one of the most credibly soulful white singers in pop, effectively using his trademark falsetto on breezy ditties like "Intuition." The duo becomes a trio for one song, bringing in guest vocalist Todd Rundgren (who produced H&O's 1974 album War Babies) for a well-chosen cover of the New Radicals' "Someday We'll Know."
BOTTOM LINE: Still doing it well
Album of the week
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