Blackstreet:
Level II

Release Date: 11 March 2003

1. Ticket To Ride (Intro)

2. Don't Touch

3. She's Hot

4. Deep

5. Ooh Girl

6. Friend Of mine

7. Interlude: What's The Fuss

8. You Made Me

9. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

10. Why, Why

11. Look In The Water

12. Baby You're All I Want

13. How Do We

14. Bygones

15. Interlude: Still Feelin' You

16. Brown Eyes

17. Wizzy Wow (feat. Mystikal)

Blackstreet - Level II

After a three-year hiatus, Teddy Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Mark Middleton and Eric Williams, otherwise known as Blackstreet, return with a whole batch of new material for their fourth album, 'Level II'. With Teddy 'Lil' Man' Riley as the driving force of the group, the RnB quartet have reformed to produce what they hope will be a successful comeback to kick-start 2003.

Their latest single, 'Wizzy Wow', is a good indicator of what to expect from the new album, as many of the tracks, although keeping that classic Blackstreet vibe, tend to lean towards a slightly more futuristic sound, the kind that would nowadays be attributed, ironically, to the likes of The Neptunes, (Chad and Pharrell were spotted by Riley at a High School talent contest). Nevertheless, the end product is pretty good, with songs like 'Don't Touch', featuring Mr. Cheeks, and 'She's Hot', featuring Chyna, reminding the listener that what Blackstreet could do before on hits such as 'No Diggidy', they can do much better now. Super producer, Teddy Riley, uses synthesisers to create the funky sounds on 'Friend Of Mine', on which Chauncey tries to convince his fiancé that she's the only one for him: "That engagement ring cost about a hundred G's / I got to let you know I took it seriously / I want to tie the knot and raise a family."

The latter half of the album sees a return to the soulful ballads of yesteryear, with the majority of them a smooth blend of contemporary RnB sounds, together with samples of the old skool. The mid-tempo 'Why, Why' is one of the sexiest tracks on the album, where Blackstreet declare their love and feelings of regret for letting the girl in question walk out of their lives. Asking for forgiveness on 'Baby You're All I Want', and the partly a cappella 'Bygones', proves to all the critics that the quartet haven't forgotten how to use their talents to their best advantage, particularly on 'Look In The Water', where the guys show off their astounding vocal abilities, harmonising on an incredibly vivid RnB song. Finally, 'Fly', the exclusive UK bonus track, uses a chilled out reggae beat to create a relaxed atmosphere for the listener, as the album is brought to a close.

Among all the highlights of 'Level II', there are a couple of low points, for example, the slight overuse of synthesisers on certain ballads, such as 'Deep' and 'Baby You're All I Want'. The other negative aspect of this album, as with many LPs, is the inclusion of abstract interludes, which don't really have much significance. I thought that 'Interlude - Still Feelin' You' was just that - rather pointless and maybe even arrogant, as Teddy plays back the numerous messages that have been left on his answering machine, all of which are praise from the likes of Quincy Jones and Pharrell Williams.

However, if you turn a blind eye to these few criticisms, overall 'Level II' is a lyrically sound and fairly respectable fourth LP. True musicians can adjust their music to the constantly changing times, keeping up with new artists without losing their original identity. Blackstreet, it seems, have managed to do just that, and under the leadership of Teddy, will continue to do so for many years to come.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Top three tracks:
2) Don't Touch
10) Why, Why
11) Look In The Water

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