JLS - Evolution (Expanded Edition) (2020)

The fourth album from 2008 X Factor runner-up JLS, 2012's Evolution features more of the British boy band's slick, dance-oriented R&B. This time, JLS have teamed up with big-name producers in Mr. Bangladesh (Usher, T-Pain) and Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber). The result is a synth-heavy album that, while evincing a kind of updated take on the '90s new jack swing influence that first inspired the group, lacks much of the memorable songwriting that marked the best music of that time period. While JLS' heart is in the right place, delivering material that mixes hip-hop production with an ear to pop songwriting à la bands like Tony! Toni! Toné! and Bell Biv DeVoe, the songs just don't have the melodic hooks they need to keep your attention. Instead, cuts like the dirty leadoff song "Dessert" and the would-be club anthem "Hottest Girl in the World" are mediocre-at-best radio singles built around percussive vocal samples that tend to grate on the ears rather than draw you in, even after slogging through protracted intros, waiting for the fun to start. Even after the tunes do get going, the memorable hook or catchy riff you've been anticipating never comes; there really isn't much there to keep you interested besides a few cheeky lyrical turns of phrase (like "Girl, you're looking like a menu/Everything on you looks good to me" on "Dessert," and replacing the word "boyfriend" with "toyfriend" on "Hottest Girl"). JLS fare somewhat better on the more straightforward dance-pop tracks, like the Maroon 5-esque "Hold Me Down" and the romantic midtempo ballad "Don't Know That," which brings to mind the classic R&B sound of Boyz II Men and Jodeci. Ultimately, however, while longtime JLS fans may be satisfied with Evolution, those looking for either a smart reappropriation of sounds from the past or a daring creative leap forward will find themselves at a disappointing dead end.