Troop Albums (5)
'A Lil Sumpin' Sumpin''
Release Date 7/22/1994
Tracks 12
Label Bust It
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Like the Jackson 5 and New Edition, Troop inevitably matured as it went along. Troop had a teen-friendly approach in the beginning, but after several years, the quintet was no longer catering to the teen market. So those who expected the Troop of 1992 to sound exactly like the Troop of 1988 were in for a disappointment. Released in 1992, Troop's third album, Deepa was a major step forward for the group creatively. There is nothing teen-oriented about this CD, which essentially falls into the urban contemporary category but shows a strong awareness of classic soul. Though the production style is high-tech and hip-hop-influenced, classic soul values assert themselves on smooth, sleek offerings like "Whatever It Takes (To Make You Stay)," "Strange Hotel" and the Babyface contribution "Sweet November." Romantic ballads and slow jams are a high priority, and Troop (like Boyz II Men) successfully makes the R&B vocal group tradition relevant to the early 1990s--if En Vogue picked up where Labelle left off, you could easily argue that Deepa puts an early 1990's spin on what northern soul groups like the Chi-Lites and the Manhattans accomplished in the 1970s. If you only acquire one Troop CD, Deepa would be the best choice by far. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This West Coast outlet discovered by Gerald Levert had an unimpressive debut with their self-titled first album. The single "Mamacita" was a huge R&B hit and just missed topping the charts, but it wasn't enough to keep the album afloat on the pop charts very long. It did put them on the urban contemporary map and established them as an entertaining, occasionally arresting band. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Attitude, the second album from the California quintet Troop, featured four charting singles. The first release, "I'm Not Soupped," is the least credible of the four. With the title's rather doltish connotation, the dance number still managed to peak at number 19 after only 12 weeks on the Billboard R&B charts. The second single, "Spread My Wings," elevated Troop's national image. The song's vivacious rhythm and exhilarating hook and pre-chorus carried it to the number one spot for two weeks. The third single, "All I Do Is Think of You," a Jackson 5 remake, sustained the group's appeal. With its schoolboy-crush lyric and empathetic arrangement, it sailed its way to the number one spot as well. (Both of the latter numbers were produced by Chuckii Booker.) The fourth single from the album was "That's My Attitude." It is similar to the first release, which is not saying much. However, the charts found it more pleasing; it peaked at number 14 after 15 weeks. There are other songs here that warranted chart action but didn't find it. Overall, this is a reasonably representative album for the group. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide
