With
Bobby Brown,
Bell Biv DeVoe, and
Johnny Gill all doing quite well outside of
New Edition in 1990, it wasn't surprising that colleague
Ralph Tresvant pursued a solo career. This self-titled R&B/pop release isn't quite as distinguished or as confident as the music
Brown,
BBD, and
Gill had been doing on their own, but it has its moments, including the smooth ballad "I Love You (Just for You)," the nice-guy manifesto "Stone Cold Gentleman," and the new jack swing tune "Public Figure (Ordinary Guy)." Some of urban contemporary's hottest producers (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and
Wolf & Epic, among others) are employed, and none of the material is really bad. ~ Alex Henderson