Billy Dean Fire in the Dark (Liberty) (STAR)(STAR) 1/2
Many recording artists stumble on their sophomore effort. For Billy Dean it’s album No. 3-“Fire In the Dark”-that is problematic. Blessed with one of the most gorgeously unaffected singing voices in all of country music, a penchant for sensitive love songs and square-jawed good looks, Dean has all the makings of the next major country sensation. Unfortunately, even some heroic singing can’t elevate the ho-hum material on “Fire In the Dark.” There’s nothing as poignant here as “Billy the Kid” from his self-titled second album, which spawned four hits, or the exquisite “Somewhere In My Broken Heart” from his debut effort. While the album’s title track is already a hit, and “I Wanna Take Care of You” and “Only a Woman Knows” show promise, pointless covers of James Taylor’s “Steam Roller” and the Dave Mason “classic rock” hit “We Just Disagree” provide too little spark for this “Fire.”
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