One World
isn't the first album
Billy Ocean
has cut since his 1980s peak -- he continued to record, albeit sporadically, in the '90s and beyond -- but this 2020 LP does mark the first time he and producer
Barry Eastman
have collaborated on new material since their salad days of "Caribbean Queen." Wisely, the pair don't attempt to re-create the splashy, snazzy snap of
Ocean
's '80s hits. Instead, they settle into an impeccably smooth and mellow groove on
, sometimes ratcheting up the tempo enough so the proceedings can be called breezy (in the case of "Mystery," it's busy enough to qualify as a club chill-out cut) but usually opting for relaxation instead of celebration. The title nods at the album's unifying theme:
spends much of the album's 12 songs celebrating love and shared bonds. It has a sweet, positive spirit that dovetails nicely with the slick, melodic tunes on
, music that has just enough of an R&B undercurrent so it could be called soulful but it's otherwise mature pop -- cheerful, good-natured music that's settled, not stuffy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine