Album Review

*** 1/2 Monica, “The Boy Is Mine,” Arista. Slightly younger than Brandy, with whom she duets on this album’s title track, 17-year-old Monica actually seems years older. There’s nothing girlish or gawky in her version of Dorothy Moore’s richly soulful “Misty Blue,” and she certainly establishes a womanly, Earth-mama groove on “Angel of Mine,” another of this album’s best cuts.

Monica and Brandy are equally gifted singers, but Monica has the edge in her smarter choice of songs. Be it the sweetly seasoned flavor she brings to a white-bread classic such as Richard Marx’s “Waiting for You” or her subtle handling of “Inside,” another lively ballad, Monica doesn’t waste her time on less-than-showcase material.

Because of her age, she’s compared most frequently to Brandy, but Monica really has more in common with label-mates Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton. Like them, she’s a major league talent who knows it takes more than a great and memorable voice to bat the ball out of the park--and it’s a pleasure to recommend someone with that type of professional savvy.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).