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BOYZ II MEN - "PASS YOU BY"
there was a time when a new boyz ii men single was an event. those were different times however: back then, each new release threatened to break some billboard record or another; now, particularly following the disappointment of their evolution album and every song they've released since then, they're bound to play second fiddles to those they've influenced, namely the backstreet boys and 'nsyncs of the world. based on "pass you by," are they being unfairly overlooked? well, no.

boyz ii men's debut, cooleyhighharmony, was the very first cd i bought. to this day, i think of it as a classic new jack album: it came at just the right time, their hip-hop beats, wonderful harmonies, and overall ebullience providing a breath of fresh air. they struck a fine balance between ballads and uptempo songs, but the ballad was obviously their forte. after that album, they released ballad after ballad and on the albums, the attention paid to the uptempo tracks was perfunctory at best. for a time, they had some very strong ballads so it was hard to fault them for this but with evolution, the guys decided it was time for a change.

the boyz were no longer boyz and as such, they wanted to take control of their careers. evolution did feature songs by the usual big names, but as a single, they decided to issue "doin' just fine" which was their own creation. needless to say, it stiffed on mtv and on the charts. since then, they've released a slew of ballads on soundtracks and such and not one did anything. so this brings us to "pass you by," which is the first single off their upcoming album.

it's a ballad alright, but thankfully it's devoid of the sentimentality and mush of many past releases. sadly, that's all i can say in the song's favor. i don't have the writing credits but my guess is that the group wrote it, and if they didn't, whoever did needs to hide their head in shame because even professional hacks like diane warren can at least write a catchy tune. the only thing noteworthy about the song is an unexpected time change in the chorus, a trick that only furthers my belief that songwriters just learning their craft, i.e. boyz ii men, wrote it, that being the kind of trick utilized to show how "mature" and "sophisticated" one's skills are. if this dents the pop charts, i'll be amazed. i'd never thought i'd say it, but i'd take a backstreet ballad over this.