** 1/2 It seemed like a long wait between albums (only 2 1/2 years) but the "Powerhouse" is back with his third set for William Bell's Wilbe records. Once again the production and sound is Top shelf for the Southern Soul Blues genre with Bell, Floyd and trusty Reginald "Wizard" Jones to credit. Bell & Floyd penned nine originals together while Floyd provided three by his lonesome. The first single, "Lock My Door", is a graduate of Tyrone Davis/Dakar college and already garnering maximum airplay.

It's immediately followed up by two duds, a generic dancer "Shake Somthin' Loose" and the tedious "That Body", which fails both lyrically and melodically. The epitome of filler. The album is nearly rescued by the slinky slowie "A Woman's Worth", featuring Bell himself (the real King Of Southern Soul) as co-lead. Still it meanders with too few changes for six and a half minutes. Overall a letdown so if you're keeping a report card that's two B's and two D's and there's eight more to go. Preview: there's no A's and plenty of C's that follow. Track 5 "Do You Wanna" is mediocre, "Hand On It" is daft.

The album sports nearly the same mid-paced, innocuous groove throughout, light jangly guitar, genteel keyboard fills and mannered percussion; rarely creating any excitement. The lone exception may be the funky "Rump Bump" that would've fit snugly on labelmate Fred Bolton's strong Wilbe debut. "Rump bump bump bump bump!" Now that's a hook and a bright spot on an otherwise lukewarm LP. Lots of safe Soul but just nothing special this time out.