It's surprising that N-Phase turned out to be a one-album wonder. The South Carolina vocal group's 1994 single, "Spend the Night," was written and produced by R. Kelly -- one of the top urban artists of the '90s -- and it had an attractive sound that is best described as LeVert meets Boyz II Men.... [+] Expand

It's surprising that N-Phase turned out to be a one-album wonder. The South Carolina vocal group's 1994 single, "Spend the Night," was written and produced by R. Kelly -- one of the top urban artists of the '90s -- and it had an attractive sound that is best described as LeVert meets Boyz II Men. Although this self-titled debut album is fairly promising, N-Phase never followed up with a second album. And that's regrettable because one hears a lot of potential on romantic slow jams like "Don't Hold Back," "69 Ways," and the above-mentioned "Spend the Night." This is the type of album that has one foot in hip-hop and the other in classic soul. While N-Phase favored a hip-hop image and incorporates hip-hop elements on many of the tracks, the influence of '70s soul is hard to miss. The harmonies owe a lot to male vocal groups like the O'Jays and the Dramatics, and one of the best things on the disc is an inspired cover of the Manhattans' 1976 smash "Kiss and Say Goodbye" (which Maverick released as a single). Also enjoyable is a remake of the Commodores' "Jesus Is Love," which is the only gospel offering on what is otherwise a secular album. African-American gospel was, of course, a major influence on soul music in the '50s, '60s, and '70s -- arguably, gospel was the R in R&B -- and it was nice to see N-Phase acknowledging the soul/gospel connection by including "Jesus Is Love." In an ideal world, this 1994 release would have been the first of many N-Phase albums. But what should happen and what does happen are often two different things. At any rate, N-Phase's only album is a pleasing footnote in the history of '90s R&B. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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