Boyz II Men: Full Circle : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Boyz II Men have never received the proper credit (or blame) for contributing to the current boy-band craze. After New Kids on the Block fizzled, the concept had lain largely dormant in the pop world until the Boyz revived it with their 1991 debut album, Cooleyhighharmony. The genre soon became frothier (and whiter) in execution than the Boyz were or could ever be, although it didn't help matters that the quartet had settled into a ballad-heavy groove that made them seem older and less vital than they were. Sadly, they don't tamper with their formula on Full Circle, which is top-heavy on slow-groove laments about broken hearts and undying love. Rhyme schemes are frequently sophomoric, the production is already slightly dated (the lovely Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-helmed "Oh Well" being an exception), and the monotony of down-tempo songs is barely broken by cliched floor-stompers about Escalades and playa haters. The Boyz, though supremely talented, have been in a creative rut for a while now, and Full Circle only digs them in deeper.