Rain

Though listeners may first notice how the sassy growls of Vanida Gail mix and meld with the light and airy (but no less soulful) calls of Jackie Murphy, June Rich is made all the richer (sorry!) by the rolling lines of bassist Garry Lee and the spangled (and often vocalistic) guitar work of Allen James. As the vocals hang on the same line then pull away in ways which challenge listeners to stretch and swim between the well-structured divergences, the rhythm section (which also includes guest drummer Ronny Crawford and a handful of well-placed strings and horns) opens and fills the pockets between their female frontmen. As the members of the mysteriously named Philly quartet form contrasts which reveal the strengths of their musical components, so too do the songs set each other off in intriguing ways. Up-tempo tunes like the funky bouncer "Sweetthang" and the rolling syncopation of "Where 2 Now" are separated by lush ballads such as the title track, "If U Dare Me To," and the back-to-back "down" tunes "Wait, It's U" and "Cry for a Reason" (which, though a bit too mellow and heavy at times, offer more impressive writing without detracting too much from the album's overall energy). A few tracks, such as "Two Drops of Honey," offer internal contrasts which further demonstrate the compositional talents of the band's dynamic vocal duo.