by Jose F. PromisJade's sophomore album, Mind, Body & Song, balances assembly-line R&B slow jams with funky, futuristic, and sexy mid-tempo cuts. Had they upped the emphasis on the latter, the album would have been more solid and the trio's future could have been brighter. Regardless, this set was released during the early-to-mid-1990s American R&B onslaught, when vocal groups were literally a dime a dozen. Jade were lumped with the SWVs and Xscapes of the era, although these gals exhibited class and sophistication similar to En Vogue. The first couple of songs on this set rank as absolutely average, with lyrics rarely reaching beyond banal good lovin'-type themes. However, by the set's first single, "5-4-3-2 (Yo Time Is Up)," the focus shifts to sexy, cool, and funky mid-tempo cuts. This track sounds almost futuristic, and was probably quite a bit ahead of its time, which explains its lowly peak on the American pop and R&B charts. The second single, the R&B disco cut "Every Day of the Week," proved to be a long lasting sleeper hit, and was definitely the album's most infectious and sassy cut, and one of the 1990s better dance hits. Other highlights include the almost neo-soul "Everything," the steamy "Do You Want Me," the jazzy, new-jill swing of "Bangin'," and the funky, low down jams "There's Not a Man" and "It's On." Despite an average beginning, this sexy and classy album turns out to be rather intoxicating, and a couple of tracks, namely "5-4-3-2," didn't deserve the lack of attention they received.