TLC - FanMail

Crazysexycool was one of those records that defined an era. Few records before it combined hip-hop and classic soul songwriting quite as intoxicatingly or gracefully -- the performances and productions were utterly seamless. It would have been difficult to top anyway, but Tlc had it doubly bad, since a number of behind-the-scenes problems delayed a sequel for nearly five years. As with any eagerly anticipated record, that follow-up, Fanmail, arrived with too many expectations. And initially, it may be disappointing to realize Tlc doesn't forge new ground with Fanmail, but after a few spins, it settles in that nobody else makes urban soul quite as engaging as this. Read More