There’s just something special about the nineties R&B sound. It was a time when folks would actually dress up to hit a nightclub, when music was not vulgar, and when you went on a date, more time was spent gazing in the eyes of your date than at your phone. As I often mention, one of the most extraordinary things about R&B at the time, was the male groups and one of the genuinely Unsung groups out there, is Intro.
They are primarily known for their elegant cover of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Ribbon in the Sky” and the legendary slow jam “Come Inside.” Intro featured group members and longtime friends Kenny Greene, Buddy Wike, and Jeff Sanders. In my opinion, the group’s first two albums, the 1993 self-titled debut, and 1995’s New Life, both still hold up. However, for this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to look back at their 2008 EP Good Love, comprised of unreleased material.
The EP opens up with the title track, a slice of nineties R & R&B. The trio’s harmonies sound immaculate, and I love the Reggae flavored rap at the beginning of the song. Lead singer Kenny Greene sounds right at home as he sings with confidence well ahead of his years.
The ballad “Love Is Here” is up next. The group opens the song with a spoken word that recalls the sounds of seventies soul. I like this song because you can clearly hear the sincerity and yearning in the music that the writer wants to present. This song is better than some entire albums hitting streaming sites today.
Intro closes out the EP with “Under Your Spell.” I feel this was a song intended for the pop charts. There is nothing wrong with a crossover track, but “Under Your Spell” is a different vibe from Intro. While Kenny Greene may not get a chance to fully show out on the vocals, the beat is an infectious groove, and I could easily see this being a club hit.
Intro’s initial run may have been short in the nineties, however, music fans know just how influential they are. Particularly with the work they did on Mary J Blige’s debut. While Good Love is only three songs, it is a worthy addition to their catalog.
Final Grade: B+
Good Love is available on all streaming platforms
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.