The artist: Ginuwine

The album: A Man’s Thoughts (Notify/Asylum/Warner Bros.)

The spin: Ginuwine, the incredibly well-toned singer known for mixing rhythm and raunch, seeks to show he’s not all about the physical here: He can still wind it and grind it, but he has evolved into a man who isn’t afraid to share his emotions.

The R&B singer’s sixth album flows seamlessly between bumpin’ dance grooves and seductive mid-tempo ballads, with some hip-hop flavor added. The 15 selections explore the complexities of love and commitment, avoiding overdone phrasing, vocal histrionics and bottles-and-babes posturing.

The singer, who broke out with the hit Pony from his multiplatinum 1996 debut The Bachelor, is less buck-wild these days, but still keeping it funky. A bass undercurrent propels much of the music, even the love songs, yet the production is disciplined and cohesive.

The yearning on “Last Chance”, in which he declares he’s ”a different kind of man,” comes across as convincing: “If I’ve only got one shot to win you, then call me Jordan fourth quarter in ’92.”

Synth piano licks gently trail Ginuwine’s vocals in “One Time for Love”, a romantic appeal to move a casual relationship beyond the bed. The piano lends understated support to the anthem “Open the Door”, in which he begs a woman to share her emotions, and the hypnotic Orchestra.

For the dance floor, there is the bombastic “Show Off”, in which he encourages women to embrace their body shapes.

R&B singer Brandy is featured on a beautiful duet, “Bridge to Love”. He also gets big-name help on the rapid-fire “Get Involved”, featuring producer Timbaland and hip-hop legend Missy Elliott, who collaborated with him on his debut, and on Trouble, where Texas-based rapper Bun B, formerly of UGK, joins him.

After Ginuwine’s four-year hiatus, fans surely will find A Man’s Thoughts worth the wait.

The grade: B

– William T. McGee