At first we thought: Hey, a comeback CD from Lionel Richie.

Then we realized: Oh yeah, he never went away -- he put out discs in 2004 and 2001. Which goes to show how memorable they were.

Sadly, Coming Home isn't much more remarkable. It's not like Richie has lost it -- at 57, his voice is still smooth and strong. And it's not like he doesn't have help -- vets like Dallas Austin and Jermaine Dupri, along with newer stylists like Sean Garrett, supply most of these tracks.

Yet because everybody plays it safe, it doesn't add up to much -- nothing here is hip enough to upgrade Richie's image, but nothing rivals the classic songcraft of his old hits either (and the less said about the bizarre reggae cut, the better).

Ultimately, with its layered backup vocals, uninspired R&B backdrops and reliance on overly slick ballads, Coming Home sounds like a second-rate boy band disc from a few years ago.

On the plus side, nobody will remember it by the time he makes another CD in a few years.

Track Listing:

1. I Call It Love
2. Sweet Vacation
3. Why
4. What You Are
5. Up All Night
6. I'm Coming Home
7. All Around the World
8. Out of My Head
9. Reason to Believe
10. Stand Down
11. I Love You