Speech disbanded
Arrested Development after the failure of
Zingalamaduni, the band's second album, embarking on a solo career. As it turned out, it wasn't dissimilar from his former band at all.
Speech, his eponymous 1996 debut, followed the same peaceful, soulful vibe that informed
Arrested Development's two studio albums in a more tempered fashion. Where his former group sounded rootsy and gritty even at their most laid-back,
Speech's record sounds slick, generally lacking in funk or dirt.
Speech is not as immediate or infectious as
3 Years, but it is certainly more focused than
Zingalamaduni. That sense of direction is a welcome relief after the confused mess of
Arrested Development's farewell but
Speech needs to write more shots of energy like "Ghetto Sex" in order to win back his audience. [EMI also released a version of the album.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine