That's
B5, as in
the Breeding 5, à la
the Jackson 5. Compared to other R&B groups made entirely of siblings, they're well below
the Jacksons and
the Isleys and much cleaner than
Pretty Ricky, which lands them somewhere around
Soul for Real. Signed to
P. Diddy's Bad Boy label, the group debuts with an album that employs an extremely lengthy list of songwriters and producers (including
Rodney Jerkins,
Ryan Leslie, and Corna Boyz), and the material they're given isn't much different than what you'd expect from young adolescents who'd rather entertain than shock. It's evident that they're talented and sound good together, but it'll take another album or two before they're able to prove themselves as more than just another boy group. This album should have no problem winning them a preteen fan base, and the parents of those fans will be thankful for the lack of a parental advisory sticker. ~ Andy Kellman