Society Of Soul - Brainchild (1995)

Brainchild, Society of Soul's debut album, has a smooth, organic flow to its grooves that makes the group's lapses into didactic preaching tolerable. The group mixes light hip-hop rhythms with the sly funk of '70s soul, particularly in the form of Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield. Society of Soul can work a groove with ease and dexterity, but they have a bit of trouble shaping their rhythms into full-fledged songs. Then again, with beats as liquid as these, that's only a minor problem, at least when the record is playing. After its finished, only a handful of tracks have enough weight to make an impact.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo