New Edition One Love

New Edition (US): Johnny Gill, Mike Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe (vocals).
Personnel: New Edition (background vocals); Eric Walls (guitar); Bobby Ross Avila (keyboards); Iz (drums, percussion); Corte Ellis, Ronnie Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Matt Marrin; Paul Logus; Rich Keller; Steve Hodge ; Bob Horn; Carlos Warlick.
Recording information: Circle House Recording Studio, Miami, FL; Daddy's House Recording Studio, New York, NY; Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, CA; The Gin House, Los Angeles, CA; The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA.
Photographer: Mark Seliger.
Eight years is a lifetime in the world of pop music, but R&B group New Edition endured a hiatus of that length and reunited on P. Diddy's Bad Boy label in 2004, resulting in ONE LOVE. The album is a solid follow-up to the ensemble's 1996 reunion effort, HOME AGAIN. Bobby Brown didn't make it onto ONE LOVE, however, leaving Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill, Ricky Bell, and Michael Bivins to soldier on.
Paired up with production talents like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Mario Winans, the Boston quintet thrives with a sound that gilds New Edition's R&B roots with just enough of a hip-hop edge. Not surprisingly, this project is a long way from the more innocent beginnings of these former teeny-bopper heartthrobs. "That's Why I Lied" finds Tresvant crooning about infidelity amid Quiet Storm grooves, while Gill makes like Teddy Pendergrass on "Come Home with Me," a seductive plea. Balancing out the slower tunes are plenty of upbeat moments ranging from the Bell Biv DeVoe strut of "All on You" to the club-ready thump of "Feelin' It." With ONE LOVE, New Edition's chemistry remains largely unaffected by time's passage.

• Format: CD
• Genre: R&B