Intricately-harmonized acappella vocals is what this sextet is internationally known for, but it is not the full breadth of their abilities. As they've demonstrated before, they're equally at home with full accompaniment, and once again this is the road they travel on Beautiful World, their tenth recording. Producer Marcus Miller manages to strike a perfect balance between Take 6's "big" voices and production that neither overpowers those vocals nor fades into the background.

In a move that may come as a surprise, Beautiful World is an album full of covers. That is, there are no new songs here -- just "Take 6-ized" versions of classic r&b, soul, and gospel hits. The song selection is dynamite, including the Doobie Brothers' "Takin' It To the Streets," Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," Steely Dan's "What A Beautiful World," and Bill Withers' "Lovely Day." You'll also find selections from modern day writers like Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, and Sting.