So Cool
Die-hard fans of this Grammy-winning team will celebrate when they hear the sixth album from Take 6. After a blatant attempt at out-and-out commercialism via their marginally successful 1996 albumBrothers, the sextet is back on solid ground, returning to the basic a cappella sound that brought them to international prominence. While no album can ever quite compare to their groundbreaking debut,So Coolis closer to the content and feel of that record than practically any album since. Mostly produced and written by various members of the group,So Coolis best heard as an entire piece of work. The group concentrates on inspirational lyrics, reinforcing the members' faith and ensuring that the core Christian music audience they nurtured back in 1988 will continue to embrace their work. There are no standout tracks per se, although the title track, "Fly Away," and "Nothin' but Love" are memorable, as is "Everybody Ought to Know," an Earth, Wind & Fire-flavored cut that is the only track to use a full band. By way of a brief interlude titled "A'-ca-lud," the group acknowledges a return to its a cappella roots, saying, "We're doing what we do best"--a welcome statement by this vocally superior team. Musically consistent,So Coolis a reminder that before Boyz II Men and the host of young male groups that followed, Take 6 set the stage for a return to vocal harmonies. Ten years on, they're as strong as ever.--David Nathan