**1/2 Mark Morrison

RETURN OF THE MACK

(Atlantic)

The theme is wanna-make-love, put to prospective beloveds with a gentle touch not unlike that of Babyface. Except that Morrison sings a soft baritone croon rather than an intense tenor. Also different is Morrison's willingness to talk some buff-stuff trash ("Moan and Groan," "Horny") now and then without compromising the seriousness of his serenade. His relaxed approach to tense moments ("Get High with Me," "Crazy," " Let's Get Down") is mirrored by the music's patient tempos and light-touch style of funk: both producers, Phill Chill and Brockpocket, favor drum work that skims the beat on notes a full octave higher than the widebodied but breezy bass line underpinning all 12 of Morrison's tracks. And if he seems as limited a singer as the narrowcast of the music -- the music new-jacks while he talk-sings and croons -- the back-up singers who go "I like the way you do it, like the way you funk" over and over in the CD's title tune sure don't seem ready to roam.

-- Michael Freedberg