Boyz II Men - Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya

In the early '90s there was no hotter group in R&B than Boyz II Men. The Philadelphia foursome were smoother than their hometown brand of cream cheese, and they shattered chart records with lush, smartly crafted ballads. They also almost single-handedly brought the art of harmony singing back to pop music and paved the way (don't hate them) for the succeeding onslaught of (lesser) boy bands and teen idols. The big news isn't just that the group is back on the scene, ready to reclaim their crown. It's that this CD is self penned and self produced; and the low-key-but-pointed title indicates that the group, who always relied less on image than on musicality, is ready to prove that substance does matter. That the foursome, who still sound great, wrote this album is no minor detail because, at their height, Boyz II Men were the recipients of some of the best songs that serial hitmakers such as Jam and Lewis and Babyface had in their respective trick bags. On this, their fifth CD, the group works without that creative safety net, and it's clear that the time in the studio with the aforementioned hitmakers was well spent. The single "Passing You By" is heartfelt, sensitive, and anchored with a memorable melody. Better still is "Dreams," a song that, with its twists and turns and heartachey emotion, might be one of Boyz II Men's most beautiful tracks to date. They have created a very soulful, very adult, and very good record. Call it a comeback. --Amy Linden