After becoming two of the best-known R&B singers of the 1990s as half of
Jodeci, brothers K-Ci and JoJo Hailey formed a cohesive duo for
Love Always. A definite surprise to
Jodeci fans, the CD contains few traces of new jack swing and lacks the type of suggestive, R-rated lyrics the foursome had become known for. It was clear that the great soul music of the 1970s was very much on
K-Ci & JoJo's minds when they made this album, an unpretentious collection of ballads and slow jams that isn't mind-blowing, but is definitely above average. In contrast to the homogenized nature of so much '90s R&B, things are refreshingly organic on such cuts as "Now and Forever," "Still Waiting," and "Baby Come Back." And an impressive cover of
L.T.D.'s 1976 hit "Love Ballad" may very well be the best thing the Hailey brothers have ever done -- inside or outside of
Jodeci. ~ Alex Henderson