City High is a
group that has definitely paid its dues, biding its time within Wyclef‘s growing stable of musicians.
Over the last few years this new age R & B group has made appearances on a
slew of promo singles and even some soundtracks. The result is their
semi-polished, but very promising debut.
As we swing into the second summer season of the new millennium men and women
everywhere will be looking for the perfect mood music to play while chilling
with their fling of the moment. City
High will likely be one of the top selections to fulfill this purpose.
Think of this album as a recipe for love, infidelity, responsibility, or hardship,
all of which are discussed throughout the disc’s 14 tracks. The best way to
describe the ingredients for this concoction would be a little bit of Fugees, heavy on Wyclef styled production, a slight hint of Toni Braxton-esque ballads, and a dash or two of K-Ci and JoJo.
Although there are instances such as Cat
And Dogs replete with disappointing rhymes, and Best Friends that seem unfinished and have a sense of emptiness;
there are also hard hitting moments such as the all-too-true situations
encountered on Why, which highlights
the group’s apparent talent, and the tales of sacrifice on What Would You Do. Although City High specialize in ballads they
prove their versatility by turning things up a notch on the humourous Three Way, and the bouncy 15 Will Get You 20 featuring Wyclef.
Truth be told I’ve never been much of an R & B fan but I could see myself
listening to this album every once in a while.