SWV

Be careful what you wish for. While many might have longed for new material from a unit that easily rank as one of the most prominent R&B girl groups of the last century, the reality is I Missed Us arrives on the scene in rather anticlimactic fashion. Their multi-platinum-selling days far behind them, Coko, Lelee and Taj on the surface still seem to have it: the lush harmonies and arrangements that made them a big deal in the '90s. The real danceable numbers ("Co-sign," "All About You," "Do Ya") feel like "lost" cuts that didn't make previous albums, complete with dated air horns and Fatman Scoop-type hype-man exhortations. Where the group shine are on the slower numbers, notably "The Best Years," "Love Unconditionally" and the title track. It's been 20 years since SWV emerged on the scene, but I Missed Us is strictly for those who remember them in their heyday. While noteworthy at points, the new outing feels rather mechanical, worthy of polite applause.