Soul II Soul – Vol. II (1990 - A New Decade)

As mentioned by the previous reviewer, Vol. II is the second album in the Soul II Soul discography, and the only album (in my opinion) that is on the same level of their debut album Club Classics Vol.1 (or Keep On Movin'). Unfortunately for this record, this one does not receive the same amount of recognition as their previous release, despite the fact that there tons of great material on this album just like on Club Classics, that is undoubtedly Soul II Soul.

The drum programming on this record is fantastic. Despite the fact that all of these drum tracks are sampled loops or drum machines, they are much more intricate and detailed than on Club Classics, while at the same time being perfect for the dance-floor, which is a great achievement in its own right. Come to think of it, the music itself is much more intricate and detailed on this record as well- the group mixes an even larger variety of styles on this record: on the track 'People', a song with a great, thumping house beat is blended with a jazzy bass line and piano solo, along with a series of great strings and a great lead vocal sung by Marcia Lewis; again, these are all of the characteristics that made Soul II Soul famous in the first place, and on this record, these qualities are all on top form. Caron Wheeler unfortunately left the group before the group began recording the album, but fortunately Soul II Soul had found a brand new array of singers that each bring in their own unique flavor on their featuring tracks: 'Missing You' with Kym Mazelle is an absolute standout track, and this is because Mazelle's powerful vocals.

All of this included leads to an album that listeners can jam with and chill with, which is also a quality that their first record also possessed. However, the first record had more of a focus on 'jamming', while this one focuses more on the 'chilling and relaxing' aspect, showing that the collective was willing to try new things with their genre-defining sound.

In the end, we get a great underrated album that is as good as the one that made them famous in the first place, and definitely worth checking out if you haven't already.

Extremely articulate second album from the Soul II Soul posse with a pitch-perfect mood throughout (in this respect it's even more successful than the first album.) By this point, the Nellee Hooper and Jazzie B production unit was very adept at applying mood and emotion over enviably smooth, funky, and delicate beats and rhythms — beats that retained a surprisingly organic, alive feel despite being clear, sharp, and obviously not live drums. Where the first album feels like it doesn't pivot gracefully from style to style, "1990 - A New Decade" rises above, confidently showcasing different elements of the group's influences and interests. That soup of influences creates a more stable final product here, more than the sum of its parts, the sounds and styles mixing very comfortably to create something new, whereas on the first album it doesn't always feel quite so finely blended. I suppose this is in part because the first album was, in a way, a compilation of previously released 12" singles that grew into a full length album, and the second album was conceived as a unit based on the huge success of "Club Classics Vol. 1" and the group's confidence in their continued existence. In a way, "1990" is very balearic at its heart: the tempos are nearly ideal, the funky percussion and less straightforward dance rhythms link the deeper beats with delicate surface layers of pattern, the musical styles are diverse, the production carefully creates a consistent mood and resonates emotionally — this latter goal obviously transcends all other priorities for the group. The main theme here is the intersection of inclusive diversity (diversity in all senses of the word: racial, class, sound, style), positivity, and the dancefloor. The group's third album was released just a few years later and was flat and uninspired, and ended up unsuccessful at maintaining the mood and emotional resonance exhibited on the first two albums, partly due to the departure of Nellee Hooper.