Six years after they revolutionized R&B and soul with their debut album,
Keep on Movin',
Soul II Soul returned with
Vol. V: Believe. Since their debut, the soul collective had been struggling to regain their position as musical innovators; in the process, they turned out two confused albums that had their moments, but nothing quite as stirring as their initial singles, which were collected on the British-only Volume IV: The Classic Singles.
Believe, their fourth album of original material, doesn't necessarily make a case for
Soul II Soul as pioneers in the mid-'90s, but it does represent something of a comeback. Where their two previous albums were muddled affairs,
Believe is clear and confident, filled with fully formed songs. It helps that
Jazzie B, the leader of the group, has persuaded former members
Caron Wheeler and
Penny Ford to make appearances on the album, and has recruited some genuine new talent that helps spark him into recording his best music since the group's debut. Granted, it doesn't push down many boundaries, but
Believe fits comfortably into the laid-back, jazz-saturated grooves of '90s R&B. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine