…..The quartet’s roughly-hewned harmonies and honest emotions, girded by the songwriting and production skills of Bryan Michael-Cox and Jermaine Dupri, respectively, resonated on hits like “Promise,” “He Can’t Love U” and “Let’s Get Married” in a way that evoked screams and plucked heartstrings. Subsequent releases like Jagged Edge and Hard were also embraced by fans, but label changes and distancing (purposefully or coincidentally) from their expected style over the years likely made them want to revisit the roots of greener pastures, which is what JE strives to achieve with their eighth CD, J. E. Heartbreak II.

First off, a ‘spoiler’ of sorts: those looking for a stream of songs with two verses and a (hip-hop) hook or multiple ‘booty-call/friends-with-benefits’ scenarios will likely be disappointed. As Jagged Edge established within the intro—courtesy of a Recording Academy panel discussion snippet—-they’re not and never were about that life, thankyouverymuch. What they are about, which fans obviously prefer in Richard Wingo, Kyle Norman and the twin Casey brothers, are the imperfect, yet affectionate declarations of love, the lilting choruses and those occasional bursts of street and sexy bravado that endeared them to ladies and gents alike.

Reuniting with Cox and JD, with Brian and Brandon Casey lyrics showcased throughout the twelve-song set….(click here for the full-length review at soultracks.com)