Toni Braxton - Secrets

Well, it is a La Face record, so of course it has the Babyface stamp all over it--especially on "Let It Flow," also featured on his Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, and "There's No Me Without You." 'Face does step aside, however, to give other producers, songwriters, and artists their time with Miss Braxton, most notably R. Kelly, Diane Warren, Tony Rich, and Kenny G. R&B songbirds in their own right, Shanice Wilson and Chante Moore even show up on backing vocals. The album doesn't quite live up to this overdose of talent; it's too crammed with boring ballads (even if Braxton's low, husky vocals are perfectly suited for them, especially the wrenching watermark of the album, "Un-Break My Heart"). It's when she slips into a sultry groove on "Come On Over Here" and the smash single "You're Makin Me High" that she really shines. --Rebecca Wallwork