Release Date : Chauncy Jackson
Reviewed By: June 10, 2003

Justin Guarini could not have made an entrance with the R&B thug persona mentality that has dominated much of the genre for the last five years. Instead, the seemingly mild-mannered singer is attempting to create a niche for himself by mixing pop and R&B much like fellow American Idol Kelly Clarkson.

The album opens with the mid-tempo “One Heart Too Many,” while riding into the Underdogs produced “I Saw Your Face.” Here, the singer recycles the same mood Tyrese created with “How You Gonna Act Like That.” The singer rebounds with the Babyface-produced “How Will You Know.” Here, Babyface creates a musical triumph that weaves in the best sensibilities of R&B and pop into a cohesive, satisfying package. “Be a Heartbreaker” shines slightly while the Brian McKnight-produced “Conditions of My Heart,” convincingly and capably covers the recovering-from-bad-relationships angle.

The mistakes come in the unfavorable choice of uptempo tracks. RCA could have taken a back seat and allowed Justin to remain a balladeer or formulated midtempo tracks which could have used assistance from the Neptunes. Kelly Clarkson shines along with Guarini on the duet, "Timeless." Their voices blend perfectly making a grand preview to their upcoming movie. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out, but Justin Guarini's debut album offers much more than his current competion, which includes Frankie J. and Ginuwine.