En Vogue - Now Playing

Ten songs and a wall of four-part harmony: Now Playing distils En Vogue's reign as the funkiest vocal group of the nineties onto a single LP.

Assembled in Oakland by songwriter-producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, En Vogue were a modern spin on the classic girl group. Every member could take the lead, the harmonies hit like a horn section, and the attitude was pure early-nineties swagger. Part of Rhino's Now Playing series, this 2023 collection traces their run from the 1990 debut through the late-decade hits, all in their original recordings.

"Hold On" opens with a gorgeous a cappella passage before the beat drops and the group locks into that famous swing. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" struts in with a stop-start groove and one of the most quotable hooks of its era, while "Free Your Mind" cranks up the guitars to take aim at prejudice. "Don't Let Go (Love)" slows everything down into a smouldering slow jam that still raises goosebumps decades later.

It is a tight, no-filler snapshot of a group that made sophistication sound fierce, and a reminder of how much of nineties R&B they quietly shaped. Drop the needle and let those voices fill the room.