Record Rack

* * 1/2 USHER “8701” Arista

In the bright sunlight of 2001, it’s hard to believe that young R&B-pop; sensation Usher Raymond’s intended 2000 album, “All About U,” was derailed by Napster during those dark days when it was still a major-label threat, supposedly because some tracks turned up illegally on the music-swapping site.

The singer-actor-pinup salvaged the single “Pop Ya Collar,” which became a U.K. hit. He carries over onto “8701” such standouts as the stark soul-rocker “U Got It Bad,” about how love makes a guy crazy, and the agonized “I Can’t Let U Go,” a disorientingly propulsive peek at a failing relationship.

Abetted by some superstar producers, Usher focuses, as usual, on the ins and outs of romance. There’s less staccato rap-singing and more crooning, which he handles pretty well. The collection has a less hyper feel, with a casual flow evoking his hero Marvin Gaye.

The airy brushoff “U Remind Me” is a nice twist on all those manly come-ons modern R&B; offers, but Usher too often reverts to generic promises of ecstasy and moony breakup/makeup sentiments.

His own experiences are too limited to be of much value, but at least his cloying, lonely-little-star-boy ballad, “Can U Help Me,” isn’t as annoying as ‘N Sync’s “Celebrity.”

Still, the flamenco-flavored “How Do I Say,” which ponders the deep mystery of how to communicate with a non-English-speaking hottie, is pure pabulum.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.