Sting

Like many people, I prefer Sting with the Police. But this is one of his better solo albums. Like Dream of the Blue Turtles, it’s jazzy and poetic, better than the bland 1999 Jaguar sales tool Brand New Day. The first single here, “Send Your Love,” comes in two versions; the first has a cool East Indian sound, the second is a Dave Aude dance-floor remix. Sting’s no dummy; he wants a dance hit like Cher, but, sorry, they don’t have the same audience. “Whenever I Say Your Name,” a duet with Mary J. Blige, is an R&B shout-out about undying love, while “Never Coming Home,” a beautiful ballad about a woman leaving home for good, has a cool jazz vibe. Sting’s style hasn’t changed in years, as much as I wish it would. But if you want to relax by the fire with a Valium, this is for you.