Mis-Teeq

Wish the late comedian Phil Hartman was still around for a lot of reasons, but especially so he could deliver his patented "Sassy!" after every track on Mis-Teeq's American debut. On one hand it's a shame Yanks had to wait three years to get their groove on with these three fabulous women. On the other hand, the album does away with some limp filler by picking the best tracks from the group's two U.K. releases, Lickin' on Both Sides and Eye Candy. Better yet, slick remixes are chosen over lesser album versions, making this a Mis-Teeq mixtape that album owners might want to check. Lyrics are light but lively, swaggering but not standoffish, and maybe a little more risqué and hedonistic than parents would like. Production is where the album really shines. Whenever producers StarGate or Mushtaq are at the controls it's stunning, and when Starship gives "All I Want" the garage treatment you can't help but dance. The bits of garage — the totally British blending of drum & bass beats with an urban-pop sheen — are overblown in the band's press releases, but the genre's nocturnal-cool bravado is obvious throughout the album and a welcome alternative to the stale thuggish stomps and crunk shouts dominating America. Joe's minor contribution is barely worth mentioning, but Baby Cham's appearance is a winner as he tries to seduce these neva-gonna-get-it gals. Check the original albums and you'll find Mis-Teeq aren't as versatile and cunning as sweet-harmony sistas En Vogue. Think about how the Spice Girls would have benefited from this doing-away-with-dreck format and drop the laser anywhere for top-notch, boisterous fun.