Zah... Zah..... Zah-Nee? (Pronounced Jah-nay - Zhané)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	Pronounced Jah-nay - Zhané
Date:	24/03/09 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of bangers

Disadvantages: A couple of tracks aren't as strong as the rest

Zhané released their duo album "Pronounced Jah-Nay" in 1994 after hitting it big with their smooth R&Bcut, "Hey Mr. D.J." a year earlier. Zhané are a duo of female R&B/Soul singers (Renee Neufville and
Jean Norris-Baylor) from Philadelphia who had been signed by Motown at the time.

1. "Hey Mr D.J."

This successful hit from them starts the album (oddly enough before the introduction), it gets you hearing their unique sounnd which could only be described as pre-Neo-Soul in the way that it takes on Hip Hop through the groovey Soul that they sing. Not only is this influence heard in the beats, but in the way that raps are used too.

**Five Stars**

2. "Intro"

3. "Vibe"

This one seems to be right in-tune with the sounds of the urban music worl at the time. You have them performing a track which reflects the fact that this is just after the New Jack Swing era of R&B. It is a big tune for this reason as you hear that aspect of it on a lower scale to excite the listners.

**Five Stars**

4. "Sending My Love"

Being unable to identifiy the sample in this track really annoyed me, but when ignoring this familiar Hip Hop beat, you have an absolute banger of a track from the two as they show that they are able to bring in listeners when singing absolutely anthing. It is well-performed and grabs you from the start.

**Four Stars**

5. "Sweet Taste of Love"

You have some funky production being used on this one, and by this point in the album you realise that this album is full of recording which have such high-quality beats. The soothing vocals from the girls means that the thing stays consistent in coming with nice harmonies from beginning to end.

**Four Stars**

6. "Changes"

Here you have them working on some fairly exciting beats that seem a little ahead of themself as they take on straight Hip Hop beats, and use it in a way that it makes you think as though the transition from that to R&B is seemingly no effort at all.

**Four Stars**

7. "You're Sorry Now"

I saw this as one of the best tunes that you find on the album. I felt this way because unlike a lot of the thing, you have them working with much more themed material to allow you to really engage with the work and feel what is being said (this is important when the tracks are so long). It really captures you as the work and the same strong beats.

**Five Stars**

8. "Off My Mind"

I would have to say that this one is a weaker track off the album, and one that you aren't likely to care to much for. It's not a bad one, its just not that memorable as very little goes on in the thing at all, and it just sits as a fair one. You have them moving on from R&B and testing out Jazz. The fact that this is just trialled, and attempted only once shows that they understand the risk in it, and I think that they were correct to stick to the single attempt.

**Three Stars**

9. "La, La, La"

Early on in the tune, the synth indicates that we are taking things down, and are about to get into a slow jam, this is just what happens as they do a tune which reflected the type of thing that was heard throughout the R&B world from the late eighties to aroudn the mid-nineties. It is one of the few time on the record when they sound 'of the time'.

**Four Stars**

10. "Groove Thang"

This was the another big single that they came up with, and seems to have them using a similar formula to "Hey, Mr. D.J.", however they put a lot more of the Hip Hop work into it with lively, and more energetic beats than the slow jam which opened up the release. There's no way that you can't like this one, as it is just a feel-good tune.

**Five Stars**

11. "For A Reason"

I don't usually mind the odd ballad, however this one was never going to work for me. You have the pair singing a tune on top of just a piano melody, and throughout the near-seven-minute span of te recording there isn't a single key change so I don't know how you can stick with it for that amount of time.

**Two Stars**

I would definitiely recommend this album, and it seems to have a lot going for it with them kiling it each time with great vocals on top of well-composed production, and it all comes together amazingly well. There are only a couple of weak points in this, and lots for people to enjoy within it.

Summary: Zhané's debut album