Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya

1	Beautiful Women 4:09
2	Step On Up 4:53
3	Good Guy 3:49
4	Bounce, Shake, Move, Swing 4:18
5	What The Deal 4:25
6	I Finally Know 5:04
7	Pass You By 4:26
8	Dreams 3:46
9	I Do 4:10
10	Thank You In Advance 4:11
11	Never Go Away 5:06
12	Lovely 5:29
13	Know What You Mean 5:17
14	Do You Remember 4:19

Barnes & Noble

Nathan Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris established themselves as the original boy group of the '90s -- setting the standard for followers such as the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync with the infectious hits "Motown Philly," "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," and the Boomerang soundtrack's "End of the Road." With their refreshing debut Cooleyhighharmony, and its critically acclaimed follow-up II, Boyz II Men reinforced their position as elite balladeers with romantic sentiments such as "I'll Make Love to You," which stayed atop the Billboard singles chart for two months. Now, nearly three years after their last album, Evolution, the new jack soul pioneers return full-force with Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, an edgier mix of up-tempo bounce and pop-tinged ballads. In the tradition of "Water Runs Dry," the Stockman-penned first single, "Pass You By," is the sort of flawlessly harmonized, spiritually uplifting ballad the Boyz are famous for. In contrast, the record also offers several potential dance hits such as the acoustic guitar-anchored "Good Guy" and the bass-booming "Step on Up." Meanwhile, the Latin-rhythm inspired "Beautiful Women" utilizes syncopated Caribbean drum beats to pay homage to women of all cultures. As singers and songwriters, Boyz II Men have fulfilled the promise of their moniker by exemplifying artistic maturity -- proving that good music can stand the test of time. Neo Brentacious

All Music Guide

Even if Boyz II Men's third album Evolution didn't rival II in terms of commercial clout, the group was still inescapable. Every male urban vocal group that reached the pop and R&B charts were clearly indebted to the quartet's stylish blend of old-school harmony, post-Aretha hyper-vocalizing, and lite hip-hop beats. The group returned to action in the fall of 2000 with Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, a nearly eponymous title for their first full-fledged adult album. And, as adults, they've made sure they're responsible for their own music -- at least one member (usually all) has songwriting credits for all but two of the album's 14 songs, and the group is credited with all but four of the album's productions. Usually, when a popular group seizes control of their reins in such a dramatic fashion, the result is muddled to say the least, but a remarkable thing happens here -- the group succeeds. True, they don't expand on the formula they developed on II, but they do fulfill the expectations that album set. There are no unexpected twists or turns, just the standard lush ballads and swinging hip-hop soul, but it delivers both sonically and substantively. Not every cut on the record is a standout, but even the average cuts are pleasant, and the best of the batch are either seductive or effortlessly danceable. Also, the group is beginning to cut back on their vocal histrionics, resulting in a record that is truly their most mature yet. It might not be their best -- it doesn't have the powerhouse singles of II -- but Boyz II Men make up for it by demonstrating that they can do much of this on their own, and still sound like the standard-bearers for urban soul. Stephen Thomas Erlewine