By
Maggie Burnett
Grade: C
The boys - and they are boys - of 98¼ have tried to turn up the heat again with little success with the release of their new album, Revelation.
Unfortunately for them, 98¼ will always and forever be known as "another one of those boy-bands," and their latest CD fits snugly into that category.
Sure, one track, or even two, professing undying love (or lust) for the "flavor-of-the-week" is acceptable for any musical venture. However, when over half the songs on the CD have the words "love" and "baby" in them somewhere, it is time to listen to a different CD, baby.
Although the single "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" has become a relative success on the radio, it is practically the only song with an upbeat, danceable sound on the entire album. With slower tracks such as "Stay the Night," "You Don't Know" and "Always You and I," this record will remind listeners how to utilize their gag reflex quite easily.
Despite their faults, the members of 98¼ deserve to get credit where credit is due. To answer a few questions, yes, it is actually them singing and yes, they actually have decent voices. It is not necessarily their talent that is shameful, it is the content of the lyrics they are singing that lacks any creativity.
All things considered, 98¼ has not quite reached boy-band banishment, but Revelation will probably take them one step closer to it. If they release one more sappy, romantic record, they will certainly be exiled to the great city of "has-been-ville."
