Forever [ECD]

11/14/2000 4:46 PM, Yahoo! Music
Bob Gulla

The best thing about the Spice Girls circa 2000 is that they aren't in their teens. I'd never thought I'd hear myself say this--but, given the recent glut of randy teen pop, it's a relief to hear radio-friendly dance music that's, well, "grown up."

Forever, the girl's third album and first without Ginger Spice, is a relatively low-key effort, heavy on melody with enough substantial performances to elevate it above the trite teen tune tundra currently dominating the airwaves. Forever bows promisingly with its two best tracks, the Babyface-inspired opener "Holler" and the zesty follow-up "Tell Me Why." The quality dips when the Girls take the tempo down. Ballads like "Let Love Lead The Way" and the insufferable "Time Goes By" kill the brassy buzz, before two closing numbers, the good-time "Oxygen" and the poignant "Goodbye," finish up strong.

The Girls still don't know how to sing together like a good vocal group should, but they're approaching a point in which the quality and maturity of their material is beginning to tell a more interesting story.