Montell Jordan's third album opens on a hip-hop-brushed sample from Marvin Gaye's "I Want You," which serves as a head-bopping groove for the track "When You Get Home." At the same time, Jordan's voice – without sliding into mimicry – echoes the tremulous wound that was Gaye's vocal signature. If Jordan had settled for some latter-day form of scatting, letting voice and music alone sell the song, it would have been a stellar almost-four minutes. Unfortunately, there are lyrics, and they derail the whole thing, serving up the credit-card banalities that pass for romance in premillennial American R&B. "Girl, your shower's ready/Steamy, hot for you," sings Jordan on "Home." "Cristal popped for two/Get you in the mood."

What Jordan and his producers do right on Let's Ride is clear a space around his voice, highlighting the instrument. Unlike a lot of his peers, Jordan can actually sing, and he doesn't torture notes to squeeze out emotion. But only the lovely "Don't Call Me," about a man's struggle to be faithful, and the Kirk Franklin-ish "4 You," a gospel stomper inspired by an old Denroy Morgan dance hit, "I'll Do Anything for You," gel into memorable pieces. The rest of the album, save the just-OK title track (which features Master P), is a mush of generic ballads and midtempo exercises that slowly melt Jordan into the indistinguishable pack. (RS 785)

ERNEST HARDY