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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why are people sleep on Allure?? PICK THIS UP!!, February 3, 2005
Back in '97, Allure stepped on the stage of the Keenan Ivory Wayans show singing a song called "Head Over Heels", a song that sounded like it should have been on Mariah Carey's Butterfly album. They sounded good, but needed a bit of polish. Their debut album came out soon after and spawned four singles - "Heels", "No Question", "All Cried Out", and "Last Chance". After seeing them on Vibe singing the latter, many people thought that Allure would just be no more.
Fast forward four years to November of 2001. Because of the September 11 attacks, Allure's sophomore album was heavily underpromoted by MCA, a label widely known for its lack of promoting good artists while pushing so-so artists to the forefront. It's a shame, for this album could easily be the most overlooked album of 2001.
If you don't have it, get it. Why? Because there is not one song on this album that is a misstep. Allure had a hand in co-writing four songs on this album, versus having a whole album done by Mariah Carey. Also, whereas their debut album showcased safe vocals with sugary mid-range notes, Allure shows true development in their vocal versatility and shows you they can truyl saaang. Not convinced? Check out the song "Earn my Trust", a song that will have you thinking of the old-school song "Have You Seen Her". This song was produced by Full Force and showcases the women's voices wonderfully; easily the best song vocally on the album. "Never Let You Go" has that same effect; sure, the song is a bit cliche' but it flows nicely, and the high note at the end will have you saying "whoa!" A cannot-miss song is "The Shore (Wanna Be Your Lady)", featuring a then-unknown Miri Ben-Ari. The song just has that laid-back feeling with a hint of diva thrown in for good measure.
For more vocal effect, definitely check out the interludes. "Love Me", immediately following "Enjoy Yourself", is beautifully arranged and sung. Akissa starts it off with a nice Spanglish (Spanish and English) voiceover with Hem-Lee cooing in the background. This interlude should have definitely been a full song, for it is impressive. Also, the gospel interlude "Only For A While" shows that harmony that the girls have obviously perfected. This could have easily been performed acappella at any gospel outlet and won rave reviews!
There are some good upbeat joints to dance to. "Enjoy Yourself", the first single, is a nice "I'm-finna'go-out-to-the-club" anthem that will have you bopping your head. And if the intro song "Bump" featuring a nice rap from Nucci Rey O (whoever that is, he still can spit) doesn't get you moving, then you are just a lame! "Kool Wit Me", produced by the AllStars, has the classic AllStars beat and even has some elements of the 80s, but still is a good listen.
Allure definitely came hard with this album. It's just sad that MCA practically dropped this album with barely any mention or promotion. If you don't have this album, pick it up...trust me, you will not be disappointed.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sunny Days, April 7, 2008
This group is a real representation of how foul the record industry is. As someone on the outside I really can't understand spending money to record an album then not lifting one finger to help promote it. I enjoyed Allure's debut then assumed that they'd broken up since I never heard anything else from them. Imagine my surprise when I found not only this but a third album by this group. Given the promise I heard on their debut, I wasn't surprised that this follow-up continues to showcase their terrific harmonies along with good musical arrangements.
I read one reviewer's comment that compared this group to others who emerged in 2001 when this was released and can't help but feel sad about the comparisons because the groups mentioned were "girls" while the members of this group are "women" so it's kind of like apples & oranges to compare the song content & arrangements. It's also what's so sad about the r&b field from about the late 90's till now - the addition of the hip hop element has made anyone who is trying to sing traditional r&b virtually obsolete.
Anyway this disc features more mid-tempo & ballad tracks but I appreciate this as it allowed me to enjoy the vocal performances more. I think that if I'd known this group was working on a sophomore set, I would've expected more tracks like those on their debut & more input from Mariah Carey but I'm quite satisfied with this album and consider it a good progession from their debut.
The stand-out tracks to me are: SUNNY DAY, EARN MY TRUST, WORE OUT YOUR WELCOME, LADY, CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU & ENJOY YOURSELF.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!, December 15, 2001
Pay absolutely no attention to the new york music fan this album is far from stagnent and the songwriting is outstanding. The best tracks have to be Lady & By the shore.
This album was arranged to stir up some emotion,
alright, the vocal arrangements may not be as flawless as those of destiny's child but they are unique, expressing plenty of emotion...
If you think it is more important for artists to express their feelings in their music rather than show off their capabilites then you will defineately love this.
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is Allure's 
