Get Ta Know Ya Betta

Prior to forming as new-jack-swing duo M&M, Marsha McClurkin and Mary Brown had served duty as the backing vocalists in a similar, late-80's trio called Abstrac', which scored a top-20 R&B hit in 1990 called "Right and Hype." Get Ta Know Ya Betta gives each a chance to show her respective lead abilities on material which is more memorable than that on the Abstrac' album. Solid midtempo grooves here like "Talk to Me" and the perky titletrack boast assured vocals and catchy melodies that surely warranted as much chart success as other new-jack grooves of the time like Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross' "The Best Things in Life Are Free" or Ralph Tresvant's "Sensitivity"; but public recognition eluded them. A remake of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is well-sung, if not expertly arranged; and there's an all-around strong ballad entry in the melancholy "Go On" -- an unusual for new-jack-themed albums. There are a few filler cuts, but Get Ta Know Ya Betta is all in all a smooth listen. Unfortunately, poor promotion prevented it from having a chance to takeoff. ~ Justin M. Kantor