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98 Degrees

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RS: 2.5of 5 Stars

2000

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Think 98 degrees, and you probably flash on their ample muscles and male-model pouts before recalling multiple mushy ballads that lack the pop pizzazz of Max Martin's Backstreet/'N Sync/Britney crew. On its fourth album, the Cincinnati-grown quartet pumps up the tempos with its own Swedish producers, Anders Bagge and Arnthor Bigisson. The pair's startlingly sprightly "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" finally inflames the lukewarm foursome. The heat smolders through "He'll Never Be" and "Never Givin' Up," crafty R&B grooves that energize the group's breathy, boyish harmonies with memorable melodies and agile arrangements. "The Way You Do" and "Yesterday's Letter" prove they can also spin sophisticated, symphonic slowies. Drew and Nick Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre co-wrote eleven of the album's thirteen tracks; when cornball lyrical cliches clog some cuts, those credits flip from badge of honor to mark of shame. Despite a few feverish moments, 98 Degrees remain slightly below average. (RS 851)


BARRY WALTERS



(Posted: Oct 12, 2000)

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