It's hard to believe that the R&B quartet Jagged Edge has been making music for twenty-eight years. Since the beginning of their career, the Atlanta-based group has built an impressive catalog, featuring more releases than the discographies of New Edition and Jodeci, both of whom were inspirations for Jagged Edge.
After a five-year hiatus, the group's eleventh album, "All Original Parts," was released on Jan. 31 through the website Even. This platform facilitates a direct connection between artists and their fans, allowing for the efficient sale of music and merchandise.
I was not particularly impressed with the debut single from the new album; however, I aimed to remain open-minded and allow the group to showcase their work. The album commences with the introduction titled "JE," in which the group appears to establish a conceptual framework inspired by a near-fatal car accident involving member Brandon.
The first single follows the intro, and we then get into "She Said What She Said," with production catering to a TikTok crowd. I took from the song that the group was crooning about a woman who was aware of her status but was not disrespected. I will credit the group for allowing Wingo to sing on the second verse, but as with their previous releases, auto-tune hurts the enjoyment factor.
The most frustrating part of the album is that the group has some engaging titles that caught my eye, such as "Season, Reason, or Lifetime," "No Words,"" Without Love," and "Forever Love (Level Up). " I can see all of these songs working in the concept album the group was aiming for, but nearly everyone is ruined by half-hearted production and, yep, you guessed it, auto-tune.
Furthermore, when the production on songs like "Get In Character," which interpolates the classic "Tender Love," gets this R&B fan excited, I can't help but grimace when it turns into what sounds like an aborted duet between Ty Dolla $ign and Jacquees for a Tubi movie.
The remainder of the album comes across as a chaotic jumble, highlighted by provocative song titles like "Bad Lil Mother," "Love On Credit," and "Automatic Weapon." It also features lyrics that raise eyebrows, such as "Had to let her off the hook like O.J.," which blurs the line between goofy and cringe-worthy, leaving listeners questioning the overall message.
While it truly is a blessing that Brandon recovered from his accident, the group's latest album is more of the same cliches that have hindered every project since "JE Heartbreak II."
Final Grade: D+
"All Original Parts" is available exclusively on EVEN and arrives everywhere on Feb. 14th.
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