Blink of an Eye

After lifting the Doobie Brothers to the top of the ’70s charts on a magic-carpet ride of soul-tinged pop hits, singer-songwriter Michael McDonald seemed in no hurry to cash in on his fame. During the 1980s he was often uninspired or simply MIA. Not anymore. This fourth solo effort, Blink of an Eye, finds the former Doobies hitmeister working pop’s middle of the road, but with an exquisite feel that reaffirms his place in the big leagues of soul vocalists. A skilled seducer, he makes the most predictable subjects (lust, jilted love) sound freshley nuanced. A-