After doing more than their share of macho posturing in the mid-'90s, new jack R&B trio
H-Town made a point of being more respectful to women on their third album,
Ladies Edition, Woman's World. Hip-hop-influenced ballads and slow jams like "Ways to Treat a Woman," "Natural Woman," and the single "They Like It Slow" have a decidedly respectful tone, but for the most part, the Houston group avoids turning this CD into an exercise in preachy, whiny political correctness. Even if you spoke no English and didn't understand the poignant lyrics to "Julie Rain" (a sobering account of a woman who dies from spousal abuse) and "Jezebel" (which describes a single mother who turns to prostitution and drugs), it's obvious that these songs are examples of passionate R&B crooning. A definite improvement over
H-Town's previous albums,
Ladies Edition, Woman's World was one of the stronger "jeep soul" releases of late 1997.