The lush R&B of Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds owes its origins to the white singer-songwriter sounds of James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg, and Dave Loggins? Apparently so. That's the music that Babyface, one of the biggest urban radio stars of the '90s, grew up on as a kid in Indianapolis, hence the premise of this album of mostly cover songs. His performance throughout is solidly heartfelt, particularly on the two originals, "Not Going Anywhere," a sweet ballad of comfort to his son in the wake of Edmonds' divorce, and "The Soldier Song," a touching call for respect to America's fighting men and women. But while he puts a silkier spin on Taylor's deadly "Shower the People," and helps Loggins finally grow a pair on "Please Come to Boston," Edmonds the producer does little to interpret the songs in a new way. In the end, it all just comes off, like David Gates's "Diary," as Bread, all of it awfully, awfully, awfully white. --Alanna Nash