Timeless isn't so much a case of "Hasn't he done this before?" as it is a case of "So...this must be what he does now." Unless you count the gospel half of 2006's
Uncovered/Covered, one of the two albums
Lattimore has recorded with wife
Chanté Moore, he has not released an album of new material since 2001's
Weekend. That
Timeless is another set lacking in fresh material must be a point of soreness for the singer's fans, but, taken on its own, the disc is hardly worth disregarding.
Lattimore's selections for covers are, once again, balanced between certified classics and pleasantly surprising picks that will always be in need of more attention, and they span decades. He does
Michael Henderson and
Norman Connors particularly proud on "You Are My Starship" -- tied with
L.T.D.'s "Love Ballad" and
Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" as the male-led mid-'70s soul ballad -- even teasing out a little more vulnerability from the original. Given
Lattimore's gently soaring and unforced falsetto,
Jeff Buckley's "Everybody Here Wants You" is the most inspired choice of the set, his light accents enhancing (rather than bogging down) the performance. When done live, garments will no doubt shower the stage. The set could have used another upbeat track or two -- a swagger-packed "That's the Way Love Is" is a standout -- and a couple tracks are either tentative or dry ("And I Love Her," "Ain't No Way"). ~ Andy Kellman