Life Is Good

LFO's self-titled 1999 debut introduced a boy group with smarts and imagination a cut or two above those of the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync acolytes who might otherwise have been their peer group. Casually pop-culture-savvy singles like "Summer Girls" and "Girl on TV" were partly the product of member Rich Cronin's skills. On Life Is Good, Cronin's name appears as a co-writer of every song; again, allusions from "Jack and Diane" to early-'90s rappers Black Sheep fill the likes of "28 Days" (both in that song, in fact). The music ranges from surprisingly guitar-driven pop-rock to hip-hop-wise beats, sometimes melding on tracks such as "Every Other Time." Almost as impressively, guest shots from De La Soul and M.O.P. don't embarrass the host trio. Two versions of "Dandelion" are included, no doubt to facilitate maximum radio exposure; one features neo-soul diva Kelis. They also demonstrate that the Cronin crew's ambitions are as much musical as careerist. --Rickey Wright

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