Search - Braxtons :: So Many Ways

Pretty Solid Debut Album....

Jamaal A. Bivens | Jacksonville, Florida | 08/04/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Braxtons came out about a time when the R&B market was completely flooded with other girl groups (Xscape, Brownstone, TLC, For Real, etc.) and never really got the promotion they really deserved. After releasing a lukewarm single in "So Many Ways", many people forgot about these siblings of superstar Toni Braxton. That's a shame, for this album was one of most overlooked and underrated albums of that time.



This album almost flawlessly blends uptempo dance grooves, witty and innovative remakes, and slow meaningful ballads. Of course, there are a few missteps ("So Many Ways", bad choice for a first single; the boring and uninspiring "Girl On the Side"), but the album consists of some songs that are overlooked.



Check out the Jermaine Dupri-produced "Slow Flow", which thumps along with the New-Jack groove that was still hot at that time. The song is quite reminiscent of Toni Braxton, yet the girls give it their own funk and flair to go along with Dupri's slick beats. Also worth mentioning is the excellent remake of "The Boss", written by none other than Ashford and Simpson (can they ever go wrong?). The girls take a trademark song and definitely make it their own and turn it into a song for the 90s and even the 2000s.



What makes this album work is the girls' distinctive voices and how well they blend. You don't hear one woman singing all of the leads nor do you hear one woman singing all of the background harmonies. Tamar shines on the remake "I'd Still Say Yes", and she has some help from DeMail Burks, who should definitely have an album out! They make the song fresh and new while not taking away from the original. Definitely worth mentioning is "Never Say Goodbye", which gives you a vision of the girls sitting around the piano singing it versus being in the studio. The leads are on point and the harmonies never falter. Also check out the Dupri-penned "Take Home to Momma", which also has some serious harmonies and strong leads from Towanda, and "Where's the Good In Goodbye" which follows the same format.



Without proper promotion, this group faded into limbo. As of late, all three have lended their voices to Toni Braxton's latest albums, Tamar has released her own critically acclaimed album, and Towanda appeared on the show "Starting Over". I'm sure we can get another album out of them in due time. Definitely an album worth checking out..."

A Pleasant Surprise, Two Fold

Akhenatonio | Poughkeepsie, NY United States | 11/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got this album from winning a radio show contest back in 1996. I got a lot of "unknown" albums in the same contest, but I was intrigued and surprised to know that Toni Braxton had sisters as fine as she was. Originally just happy that these girls were cute, that was the original reason why I opened up the CD case and popped in the CD.



A week later, I finally take the CD out of the player after continuous play. Their voices are beautiful. And, given that I was usually lead by the media including MTV and BET (I was 19 or 20) this album somehow held my attention even though it wasn't popular. Perhaps another reason why I liked it more, the general population didn't know about them, so it was like my little secret. Very good Album. If you can get a copy, trust that you will be pleasantly surprised."