A few days ago, I reviewed Curtis Mayfeild's

. That album I said, was not bad, but the disco production overwhelemed Mayfield's voice.

On Something To Beleive In, this is not a problem. The production here is modern, but this is a funk album. Along with the popping bass and digitally locked sound, there are also strings and lush arrangements. The music here is actually bigger than on Heartbeat, but far better balanced.

You will never mistake this for Curtis, Superfly, and certianlly not even the later impressions. But it is classic Mayfield, with the great arrangements and meloidc funk.

Mayfield does trim his singing back here--clips the fat from his falsetto, but unlike on Hearbeat, this serves to highlight the tightness and ecconomy of the band.

This does not climb to classic Curtis level, but it sure holds its own among his work, and surpasses the work of most others.