DAY 26 - DAY 26 [ALBUM REVIEW]....

It's been one hell of an adventure for Day 26. Since being handpicked by Bad Boy entrepreneur Diddy on the talent-search reality show Making The Band 4, the fivesome have taken time to bond as a group and putting aside whatever rifts came between them along the way. In their understanding and commitment of wanting to achieve success, they've recorded an album which has a 90's feel in some places and paying slight tribute to many of the greatest male R&B groups that made their way and drifted but still leaving behind a legacy that many of us enjoy going back to.

Their journey kicks off with the upbeat I'm The Reason which entails a catchy beat of thumping drums and great vocals. The Mario Winans-produced lead single Got Me Going has that dungeon effect that reaps of pure typicalness from a Winans production but catchy nonetheless. In addition to the aforementioned tracks, other stand-outs include Come In (My Doors Open) which has great harmonizing throughout and the sultry B Cox-produced Are We In This Together as well as tracks like Since You've Been Gone which is probably one of very few slow jams I was feeling on this album. Other honourable mentions include Exclusive and Co Star which both had nice vibes about them.

The rest of the songs lacked depth. In other words, I wasn't really moved. I love my slow jams more than anything but part of the album was pretty much one-dimensional as well as monotonous to that effect. A lot of slow jams weren't that overpowering. It's a shame because their vocal delivery is really impressive, not to mention that it's transparent how Diddy tries to reincarnate his former group 112 to the fullest. So having said that, the album wasn't anything special collectively but okay for what it was worth.

Despite the collection featuring production from high profile producers such as The Runners, Jim Bean, Adonis and Bryan Michael Cox, they could have come harder with their debut. Only a handful of tracks made me take notice. That said, good luck to the boys because I'm not confident that they'll be around in the next 3 years or so. It's likely they'll be on Wendy slagging off Diddy complaining that he's no doubt the most self-centered pig known to man. And, if you're looking to reminisce the good ole days of the classic R&B group, dust off the cobwebs and stick to enjoying the former glory of Jodeci, Dru Hill, Silk, Jagged Edge and so forth.

Rating: 2.5/5