4IIC - The Intro (2011)

Imagine for a moment that it is 2011 and New Edition is still singing songs like "Mr. Telephone Line" and "Is This The End?".  That is the appeal to -- and the limitation of -- the R&B vocal trio 4IIC and their new album, The Intro. Joe Shivers, Ron "RK" Pierce and Jerry Hairston have strong group vocal chops and a sense of classic soul harmonies, and they use those talents to provide a decidely and unflinchingly old school feel on The Intro, resulting in an album that sounds like it was pulled from a Maurice Starr time capsule, circa 1984.

While such a dated sound could have made The Intro a painful exercise, generally strong material and, to an even greater extent, terrific group harmonies, ultimately save the disc and turn it into a surprise guilty pleasure. So, even though upbeat, overly mechanical songs like "Sexy Ladies" and "U R The 1" at times remind us too much of some of the horrible, synth-driven arrangements of the mid 80s, ballads like "Thank You," "Believe In Change" (a song dedicated to President Obama) and especially "Where Do We Go From Here" rise up nicely, lifted by the group's strong vocal work.

One thing's for sure: I haven't heard another new album in 2011 that sounds much like The Intro. Its "everything old is new" approach has its limitations, but it certainly stands out among the clutter and, for the most part, works.  Those 30- and 40-somethings looking for a fresh shot of jheri-curl-and-popped-collars music from their youth could do a whole lot worse than 4IIC and The Intro.