ERIC BENÉT
A Day In The Life (Warner Bros)
Rating: 6 out of 7
By Billy Johnson Jr.

   Eric Benét knows that most R&B music played on the radio these days sounds generic. As displayed on his 1996 album True To Myself, the soulful singer abandons the sappy "oh I love you baby" lyrics and bland preprogrammed synthesizers.
   String bass and Rhodes pianos, rich vocals and complex subject matter keep excitement brewing through A Day In The Life’s 13 tracks.
   Benét duets with Tamia on the emotional wedding song "Spend My Life," and then takes a cocky jab at an ex in the bluesy "When You Think Of Me" (where he sings, "do you feel like dying…when you think of me?"). "Loving Your Best Friend" offers a fun lesson about playing with fire through infectious reggae and hip-hop grooves, and "Georgy Porgy" (featuring Faith Evans) capitalizes on a sample of Toto’s song of the same name; it's the first release, but its mellowed tone only reflects a portion of the album.
   The overall result is an eclectic mixture of soulful music that successfully travels reggae, Latin, hip-hop, and pure soul without chasing trends set by teen chasers Puffy, Jermaine Dupri, or Timbaland.