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".
(Still sealed.)