Album Review: Babyface - Return of The Tender Lover

The word ‘love’ is used in four song titles on Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds’ new album, Return of The Tender Lover, which in a sense, is a follow up to his 1989 album, Tender Lover, and is also his first solo album of original material in over a decade.

Four times may not seem like that many when we’re talking about an album by Babface, but it’s worth noting that Return of The Tender Lover is a lean effort, clocking in at nine songs total. And even though only four may have ‘love’ in the title, let’s face it—they are all love songs. Because that’s what this guy does. And he does it well. Even in 2015 when the rest of the pop music landscape has moved away from that Babyface sound—he’s still firmly planted in his mid 90s heyday as a songwriter and performer.

And really, could you imagine Babyface singing through auto tune to trap-style drums?

No. He makes adult contemporary R&B.

For an artist who has had such longevity as Babyface has, he’s certainly been doing a pretty commendable job of making himself still relevant in today’s modern times—i.e. his incredible collaborative album with Toni Braxton, released early last year; and I suppose releasing Return of The Tender Lover continues that upward trajectory for his career.

The question I asked myself while listening to Return is, does Babyface need to be relevant in 2015? The truth is that he will probably never have a run of hits like he had when he was churning out songs like “Unbreak My Heart” or “Take a Bow” or his own stunning “When Can I See You Again?” And do listeners today even understand the importance he had in shaping a certain time in pop music history?

The answer to that is probably not.

Despite his prolific, and high profile years behind him, like an artist that returns after a lengthy absence, Babyface obviously still has something to say musically with Return of The Tender Lover—it’s a very feel good, uplifting and to the point set of songs.  So feel good and uplifting that nearly every damn one of them could serve as the closing credits music to a romantic comedy. Just imagine yourself walking out of a theater as “We’ve Got Love” plays in the background over a montage of outtakes from a movie about a wedding, or something else that romantic comedies are usually about.

That’s not to discredit “We’ve Got Love,” as the lead single from the album, it’s also one of its strongest. I mean, all of the songs are relatively strong—there are only nine of them so there’s no real room for fillers—though some are more successful than others. And some wander into “Weather Channel” local forecast music territory, like the guitar solo at the end of “Fight For Love,” or during the instrumental break in the middle of  “Exceptional.”

I mean, it just seems like there’s a lot of guitar soloing going on, and it all has that lite jazz feel to it. It’s fine, and pleasant to the ears, but it just makes me want to know what my local forecast is going to be.

“You are the good in my good times,” Babyface sings in one of the more uplifting tracks, “Walking on Air.” And it’s true, this is a good time album. It’s fun and carefree. I hesitate to call it a “guilty pleasure” simply because there’s nothing to feel guilty about—if you grew up in the 80s or 90s you understand what an important producer and songwriter Babyface was, so no matter what kind of music you choose to listen to, you can still at least appreciate a Babyface album in the year 2015.

It may not be as immediate or as interesting of a listen as last year’s Love, Marriage and Divorce was, but it’s still refreshing and comforting to know that the Tender Lover has returned (from wherever he was) and can still croon with the best of them.

Return of The Tender Lover is out now via Def Jam (of all labels.)