D.N.A. (2009)

DOUBLE HELIX Mario

Compared to more compelling characters such as Ne-Yo and The-Dream, Mario can come off as one of R&B's more forgettable stars. Indeed, on his fourth album, D.N.A., the singer tends to get lost inside state-of-the-art tracks by a cornucopia of A-list writers and producers, including Babyface, Stargate, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream himself, whose signature future-soul sound lends some sparkle to the lovely ''Starlight.'' 
 That lack of personality doesn't kill the disc's ample pleasures. It just makes you wonder whose D.N.A. we're examining. B-

Download This: Listen to the song Starlight at imeem.com

See all of this week's reviews