It's Real

1	Intro 1:13
2	Fee Fie Foe Fum 4:19
3	I Wanna Make Love to You 3:56
4	I Wanna Get TO Know YOu 4:40
5	Hello Darlin' 4:23
6	How Long Must I Cry 3:49
7	Makin' Me Say Goodbye 4:10
8	Tell Me It's Real 4:38
9	Life 3:33
10	Girl 3:37
11	What Am I Gonna Do 4:41
12	Here He Comes Again 4:12
13	Momma's Song 6:37

Barnes & Noble

K-Ci & JoJo's first outing as a duo, 1997's LOVE ALWAYS, was exciting. The full power of their soul was often upstaged by the pure freakiness of Devante and Mr. Dalvin, so it was a treat to hear the harmonies of songs like the megahit "All My Life" unaffected by the raunch that made Jodeci a household name. The bittersweet, but no-holds-barred gospel power of "Making Me Say Goodbye" and the Babyface-penned "Here He Comes Again" are in the race for an "All My Life" followup, while the album's first single, "Tell Me It's Real" is a cute ballad with built-in crossover appeal. "Hello Darlin'" opens quietly, betraying an explosive chorus, and the pop of "Girl" and the darker tone of "What Am I Gonna Do" play off each other like day and night. "Life," from the Eddie Murphy movie of the same name is a subdued Southern groove deserving of more attention than it received, but if it's the funk you're after, try a dose of "Fee Fie Foe Fum" or the midtempo "I Wanna Get to Know You." The album's lasting impression comes from its ballads, but the Hailey brothers still know how to get down. Rebecca Wallwork

All Music Guide

K-Ci & JoJo's first album Love Always established the Jodeci refugees as fine R&B vocalists, blending classic soul traditions with contemporary urban production and technique. Blessed with strong sales and good reviews, Love Always became a hit, setting up high expectations for the duo's second album, It's Real. For those expecting a flat-out masterpiece, It's Real will disappoint, primarily because it doesn't so much as expand on past glories as it simply replicates them. Since they're good singers with generally good material, this isn't a problem, even if it makes it all seem a little too pat and predictable. Occasionally, the Hailey brothers decide to rely a little bit too much on their impressive vocal technique, taking off on soaring glissanados that ultimately distract as much as they impress. That, combined with the stylistic similarity of the material, makes It's Real bog down a little bit, but the very best moments -- "Makin' Me Say Goodbye," "I Wanna Get to Know You," "How Long Must I Cry," "Hello Darlin'," among others -- are contemporary urban romantic soul at its finest, which is reason enough to hear the disc. Stephen Thomas Erlewine