A super-huge debut from After 7 – a group related to Kenny Babyface Edmonds, who's very much at the helm of the set alongside his partner LA! The LA/Babyface groove is very much in place here – but with that crackle that shows the approach of new jack touches, and less of the mellower modes the pair might have used for other singers – a style that really pushes the vocals of the trio in a great way, and shows some of the reinvention of older harmony soul modes that was taking place at this key moment in the evolution of R&B! Titles include "One Night", "Ready Or Not", "Heat Of The Moment", "Can't Stop", "My Only Woman", "Loves Been So Nice", "Sayonara", and "Don't Cha Think". Cassette

Sure, their name marks them as part of that big world of prepackaged soul groups, and yes, their costumes on the cover may look a bit goofy – but over the years, this debut's got maybe a bit more staying power than some of their contemporaries! There's plenty of hip hop production in the mix – mostly handled by Dallas Austin, and with those kind of elements that you might find showing up in remixes of main cuts more than the album cuts themselves – but that also keeps things popping and hopping, and definitely does plenty to offset the youth in the vocals, which might not sound nearly as good on their own. So maybe think of the album as much as Austin's as it is the work of the group, and you'll get the vibe – with titles that include "Spyderman", "Mental Interlude", "Playground", "Little Soldiers", "Jealous Girl", "ABC", "That's My Girl", and "My World". Cassette