The Better Half Of Jodeci (Love Always - K-Ci & Jojo)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	Love Always - K-Ci & Jojo
Date:	04/08/09 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of big tunes

Disadvantages: One trakcs doesn't fit in

"Love Always" came out in 1997 as the first album from the former Jodeci members K-Ci & JoJo as after their stint with influential quartet, the brothers went on to do things together to show how they could move on from their 'bad boy' material, and more towards the ballad work.

1. "HBI" (Intro)

2. "Last Night's Letter"

Getting things going here you see that the duo choose to dive right into something which you could have expected to get from someone such as R. Kelly at this sort of time as he turned his attention towards this kind of material (and to a degree away from the sensual stuff). It is a powerful one, and indicates where they wish to take things here.

**Five Stars**

3. "Baby Come Back"

The gentle swing which you get from the production of this one is an element which makes to remember where they have come from and to work out how just how exactly they hope to implement this through the material as you see that the Hailey brothers compose it as if it was a Jodeci cut with layered background vocals creating the effect of multiple vocalists when it seems to be just K-Ci pushing this side of it.

**Four Stars**

4. "Just For Your Love"

For this one you see that they take things in a direction which you would expect to get form them as they take things toward a much h more emotive place with their powerful vocal performance to really make you take notice of everything they do as they grab you with their flowing melodies on some deep synth.

**Four Stars**

5. "Now And Forever"

The way you see this one performed really shows what the time was about for R&B as people began to make big changes in where the music would go as things moved towards the turn of the century, and so rather than implementing more Hip Hop into their material (which was their unique feature as part of Jodeci) they dropped this in order to bring back the eighties feel, and really hit hard with this one to show that this is where they need to be.

**Four Stars**

6. "Don't Rush"

This is a killer jam from the album and one which rally stands out as it has them showing how they can implement this more mature material to do the sensual work. Although the high-quality DeVante Swing production is absent, they show just how well they can do it here as they make this a minor issue and pull out the best in their vocal ability.

**Five Stars**

7. "You Bring Me Up"

If appears that they couldn't resist bringing in a little Funk to this album as you see that with this one they mix it up a little with this little swing joint. It is a fly joint and has them taking on the typical Jodeci structure of composing the songs and just bringing it up to the time in jus the way these (the lead vocalists of the four-piece could).

**Five Stars**

8. "Still Waiting"

You see a guest appearance from DeVante Swing on this one to show that there is still love between them all as he lays down the production here to show that he is also down for these new developments, and is just as capable of producing in this style. However, I felt that this was a bit of a weak point in the album, and it didn't really fit in with the rest.

**Three Stars**

9. "Love Ballad"

Making it plain and simple what their intensions are here you see that they don't attempt to throw people off from the title, and so just go for a killer ballad form them which has them working at their best with the slow jam side on some eighties-styled beats. It is one which you are bound to remember and does its job to take the focus off the one prior to it.

**Five Stars**

10. "How Many Times"

In preparation for the best ending to an album you will ever get, this is one which keeps the flow of the material going as they choose to push things towards the emotive side as they perform one which has them dealing with how things can go wrong in relationships in a manner which takes you right in.

**Four Stars**

11. "All My Life"

Ending the album in the best way possible, you have them dropping what I consider to be the single best R&B ballad ever. You can't fault a single aspect of this killer slow jam form them as they show just how effectively they have moved on in just a year towards this contemporary ballad material. I can't recommend this song more.

**Ten Stars**

This was a great way to follow-up their success with Jodeci as you see them bouncing straight back with a killer album which has them working to their full potential the majority of the way through in an adapted style which plays up to expectations of their more mature turn.

Summary: K-Ci & JoJo's debut album