In Brief

* * 1/2 Teddy Pendergrass, “A Little More Magic,� Elektra. It’s impossible to listen to this album and not compare it to ‘70s-era Pendergrass--back when he was a vocal powerhouse. Today, the singer focuses on romantic songs with a gentler perspective. While most of this album is pretty bland, “Voodoo,� with its smooth, understated arrangement, ranks with the finest ballads he’s ever recorded.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).