A steady record with a couple of nostalgic triggers.   

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Vocally-skilled, enigmatic, and dangerously sexy, En Vogue had a clear edge in the competitive market of 1990s R&B. Since their last studio release, 2004’s Soul Flower, the group have been through a somewhat tumultuous period. However, the current line-up of Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Rhona Bennett are touring at present and promoting their new release – Electric Café (2018).

Was it worth the fourteen-year wait? Vocally, the group maintain their characteristic strength. The album opens with R&B ballad ‘Blue Skies’ – a tranquil song of self-actualisation coloured with creamy, blended harmonies. ‘I pushed through the winds / I stood in the rain / I weathered the storms / Now nothing but blue skies around me’, the three ladies sing. It seems a fitting introduction given the group’s recent history of lawsuits and fluctuating line-ups.

There is plenty of worthy material on Electric Café, if not particularly spectacular or unique. The Ne-Yo penned ‘Rocket’, the sexually-charged lead single from the album, has a drunken bounce and clever lyrical repetitions. The vocal arrangements on ‘Déjà vu’ are tantalisingly seductive, while ‘So Serious’ mocks the male ego against an almost cinematic backdrop.

However, the cuts which veer into more danceable, electronic territory (‘Love The Way’, ‘Life’, ‘Ocean’s Deep’) fail to excite. Synths, autotune, and overproduction detract from the talent of these three ladies and often dissimulate competent hooks. The rumbling title track is perhaps an exception.

‘Have A Seat’, featuring co-writer Snoop Dog, is the strongest cut off Electric Café. The syncopation and backing vocals recall 1960s soul, the lyrics are full of sass (‘you know you want it but you know you can’t have nothing but a seat’), and Rhona Bennett tickles with her nifty vocal runs. It is the track most reminiscent of En Vogue’s new jack swing classics. ‘I’m Good’, tinged with funk, proves another standout. A statement of self-love and a celebration of one’s very essence, the song swaggers infectiously: ‘I’m good! Feeling myself and flirting with my reflection!’ Though inconsistent on Electric Café, the ladies still have their spark.

(Image Copyright: eOne, En Vogue Records)