The glamorous Oaktown girls of En Vogue come off, on Funky Divas, as voluptuously voiced and impeccably rehearsed as they did on their 1990 debut, Born to Sing. But the audacious production that outfitted Dawn, Terry, Cindy and Maxine has not found its way to 1992. "This Is Your Life" and "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" are both filler made listenable only by DTC&M's sweet, strong singing – the songs should never have made the cut. "Hip Hop Lover" and the guitar-ravaged "Free Your Mind" wander off in search of Labelle and Janet Jackson's "Black Cat." The Beatles' "Yesterday" could have been the project's engine, but the requisite bulky bass is glaringly absent, as it is from the whole album.

The two ballad remakes from the soundtrack to Sparkle, "Givin' Him Something He Can Feel" and "Hooked on Your Love," were made for DTC&M; the girls sing them prettily, but their delivery lacks the drama of the soundtrack versions. En Vogue doesn't ever get loose on this project. And the girls rap, too, on this album, for a whole song. Why?

Producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy sent up a four-girl flare three years ago, one that everybody from Pretty in Pink to Ex-Girlfriend has tried to answer, with little success. But on Funky Divas, the duo falters. DTC&M are still divas, yes; but funky? No. En Vogue enchanted us all: straight-up gorgeous around-the-way girls dressed to the nines and singing their asses off. On the debut, the Sixties girl-group allusions were perfect enough to seem accidental, but this time they clunk around obviously and loudly, like there's a fifth woman in an ugly dress singing along with Maxine, Cindy, Dawn and Terry – and she's sadly off-key. (RS 629)

DANYEL SMITH