::ALBUM REVIEW::

There have been a number of important male/female duos to exist in the music world. Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. Sony & Cher. But lately there has been a decline of duos to make a career for being a pair. Most, after a period of singing together, tend to go their separate ways. Well, Kenny Lattimore and Chante' Moore are not ashamed of their union together in marriage and are on a quest to showcase their love for one another once again on record. Their "Things That Lovers Do"(2003) project, filled with lovable interpretations of love songs, began their respectable musical relationship as a team and forged a lasting impression with both of their R&B fanbases. Now comes "Uncovered/Covered"; revealing much more affection for one another as before but with much more portions of personality and character. The project is a double-disc collection divided into segments of earthly love (R&B slow jams and a few hip-hop-tinged cuts) and heavenly love (R&B styled inspirational tunes and lyrically-based praise-and-worship).

With Verity's Max Siegel earning the recognition of creating the memorable opportunity for the duo to finally sing their praises to God, "Uncovered/Covered" almost feels like a tamed-down version of R. Kelly's "Happy People/U Saved Me" (which also was divided up into secular and spiritual contents). Ears are certainly glued to the inspirational adventures of this disc - for those that are not so optimistic of their jump to gospel territory. But those whom are familiar with these talented R&B stars singing for God on BET's Celebration of Gospel know they are in for a special treat.

Both Lattimore and Moore are in their element when delivering the bulk of the R&B love material. Actually, most of the first disc is pretty good and contains a creative step-up for the two. While they explore a few classics, the originals cuts are just as credible. The soggy poetic introduction may have been written in style by Donell Jones, but it feels like a love version of "T'was The Night Before Christmas". But after the intro comes a gorgeous remake of L.T.D's classic hit "Love Ballad" produced by Barry Eastmond (Anita Baker) and he does a marvelous job interweaving Moore & Lattimore's vocals together; creating a colorful arrangement for the talented pair. "I Got You Babe" is deliciously peppered with consistent piano whirls over the melody and a midtempo groove that works with Musiq Soulchild's soulful production. Hearing Sade's "No Ordinary Love" on Chante' Moore's charming voice and with Lattimore's sexy inclusion, without any real modifications, is a definite pleasure. Bryan-Michael Cox's "Figure It Out" is the first single from the first disc and is guided by a friendly melody and groove that would definitely work on artists like Usher. Wise choice to hear this kind of hip-hop gem worked on this R&B duo. Other cool moments to dig into include the serenity ballad "Here On Earth" (featuring Lattimore only), the Eric Roberson intimately produced "Beautiful Distraction" and the R. Kelly-inspired "Tonight (2 Step)" - which continues in the "Steppin' In The Name Of Love" mode.

One good listen of the inspirational disc, produced by Fred Hammond, may feel like mediocre leftovers in Studio B compared to the heaviness captured on the leading disc. The production isn't as thick and sometimes feels a bit outdated. But most of the material is gloriously written with Hammond's poetic trademark, but with writing assistance from Lattimore and Moore. And with live instrumentation guiding pretty much all of the cuts and less of Hammond's overdone funky arrangements usually captured on his projects, the disc is more enjoyable and refreshing than what most would assume. The album opens with a strong praise track, "To Me, You're Everything", which definitely captures an engaging 80s-pop rhythm and a thick sub bass delivered by Hammond. The merge of Jamaican lead guitar riffs and a simple bass walk leads the joyous "Rejoice (Clap Your Hands)" - which proves to be one of the memorable musical events on the gospel side. "Make Me Like The Moon" is a love song to God and is beautifully penned. The chorus may need a little more instrumentation, since it doesn't really stick out like it should. Maybe heavy drum work since the drum pad isn't strong enough. But overall, the song is a triumph for Hammond and may have crossover appeal. The gleaming sweet-funk of "Your Name" feels like a musical trip carved by Frankie Beverly. Strong is the showering favor of praise-and-worship on the lyrics. The song is nicely rendered with Moore and Lattimore working together in excellent tag-team fashion. The old school sound, with Keith Anderson's companion saxophone leads, also makes this one of the album's stronger cuts. "Mine All Mine", co-written by Joann Rosario, Chante' Moore and Bobby Sparks with Hammond, is a unique cut showing a playful side of Moore as she tells of her deep love for Jesus. So deep is that love she feels, in the beginning of the song, that she is jealous over the thought of sharing God with others. But she eventually realizes that her trust in God is so strong that she knows God will never leave her. It's a different take on songwriting for urban contemporary gospel and one that may create a buzz for upcoming songwriters. "No Limit" possesses a slow Quiet Storm vibe and almost feels seductive in its tone, but the lyrics and vocal deliveries from Moore and Lattimore are just right for the slow jam. Bobby Sparks' soft keyboard skills are brilliantly packaged here. The bonus remix of "No Limit" could have been removed since it is the same cut but feels like a different take and has a rock element highly aided by guitar wah-wah sounds and busier instrumentation.

Probably one of the tougher criticisms to point out about the second disc is that it feels too safe. Mostly all of the songs are "praise" songs and say the same thing - just with different words. Saying "I love you Lord/Thank you Lord/Lord I love You/You're holy/I just love to praise You" can get a bit boring. Out of the eleven tracks, seven of them focus entirely on praise and worship themes. And while it is best for the two to play it safe when experimenting with strange waters of doing a gospel or inspirational project, it's never good to sound too repetitious. This is probably the biggest fallout for the second disc. Also it should be stressed that some of the production feels a bit outdated when compared to the R&B side, but Hammond delivers a likeable side that is bright and not too busy. There's not dozens of parts and sections in these songs - which is a major achievement for Hammond lately. And with just eleven cuts only on the second disc and a time limit clocking in at just fifty minutes, you only wonder if the gospel disc, when compared to the mainstream collection, may have been downsized. Amazingly, the first disc clocks in at fifty minutes as well.

When placed on the scale, "Uncovered/Covered" may not be as balanced as it should be. There's more meat and intensity on "Covered", while "Uncovered" has its favorable moments yet it feels incomplete with its eleven song selections and repetitive subject matter. Plus, one may want to observe the dozens of producers that labored on "Uncovered" (ranging from Barry J. Eastmond to Bryan-Michael Cox), while Fred Hammond handles mostly all of the production and songwriting on "Covered". And while there are a few skipable tracks on the first disc, there's still more diversity and flavor to enjoy on there. Still, it should be noted that "Covered" is a peaceful inspirational entry for the dynamic duo and also reveals one of Hammond's better collaborations for other artists. And with such voices as angelic and crystalized as Kenny Lattimore & Chante' Moore, along with their beautiful reputations as a happily wedded couple and as individual artists, you can only imagine what's next in their career. We hope they will return to gospel 'cause they truly sound good doing it.