On Christopher Williams's Changes, love is the sole theme, a magnificent obsession. Joining the slew of New Jackers presently dancing and romancing all over the charts, Williams blends his considerable baritone with the rhythms of his musical peers in producing a thoughtful ode to the ups and downs of affection. Borrowing a page or two from Teddy Pendergrass, Williams warms quickly to the melding of sex and sensuality, honing the rougher edges of explicit desire into groovable, passionate sounds.

Of course, Pendergrass's spirit surfaces most faithfully on Williams's searing remake of the master's classic "Come Go With Me." While acknowledging his vocal debt to Pendergrass with a few well-placed, gruffly alternated "oh-ah's" enhanced by staccato enunciation, gospel-laden tones and breathy delivery, Williams moderates the mix with just enough flourish to possess the song on his own terms. He celebrates the joys of devotion on "All I See," a slow-burning ballad picked ripe from the Jodeci vineyard – no surprise since it's produced by that group's Devante Swing. And on "Good Luvin'," Williams combines with reigning New Jill princess Mary J. Blige for a percolating give-and-take about the satisfactions of intimacy.

Williams confesses the angst of love's uncertainty on the title track, which showcases the stinging harmonies and haunting background melodies that are a hallmark of the Gap Band's best work, a testament to the song's production by Gap Band leader Charlie Wilson's nephews Andre and Brian Wilson. That duo also produced the pensive admission of emotional immaturity "When a Fool Becomes a Man." Williams's only upbeat fare, the infectious "Every Little Thing U Do," is a nod to love's enduring power.

On his second album, Williams not only avoids the sophomore jinx but reveals himself to best musical advantage – a big, expressive voice with a brilliant future. (RS 651)

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON