Donell Jones has finally returned to the R&B scene after a four year hiatus with his newest album release, Journey of a Gemini.
Although not as strong as his previous three albums, especially Life Goes On, Journey of a Gemini is in no way a washout. While “Better Start Talking,” featuring Jermaine Dupri, is the prominent single from the album, there are better tracks hidden away as little gems for those who purchase the album (like many R&B albums). Notable tracks include “Special Girl,” “Cry,” “I’m Gonna Be,” and “My Apology.”
But fans will not find anything close to the caliber of “You Know That I Love You” and “Where I Wanna Be,” perhaps two of his strongest songs.
There are noticeably fewer true love ballads that one would expect to find on a Donell Jones album, which is a disappointment. Mid tempo tracks like “Better Start Talking” and sex driven songs such as “Oh Na Na,” both of which Jones did not compose, seem to bring Jones’ album down to the level of an average contemporary R&B album. Tracks such as these seem to be thrown onto the album simply to act as ballast to balance out the album’s content.
Journey of a Gemini, despite its shortcomings, is nonetheless a good addition to Jones’ discography. Even if his album is not as good as it could have been, it is nice to see him back in the mix of things. Fans of contemporary R&B styles will feel right at home with Journey of a Gemini.