REMEDY, THE

Recording information: 4 Star Studio, Miami, FL; Circle House Studios, Miami, FL; Circle House Studios, North Miami Beach, FL; Joi Studios, Atlanta, GA; Midnight Blue Studios, Miami, FL; Patchwerks, Atlanta, GA; Record Room Studios. Photographer: James Pray. Over a year after releasing "Tip of My Tongue" -- a buzz single that narrowly missed the Top 50 of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart -- Jagged Edge finally released their first album, their seventh overall, for the Slip N Slide label. A few years of inactivity and that false start notwithstanding, The Remedy easily falls into place as yet another decent, occasionally great Jagged Edge album that further refines their brand of sophisticated salaciousness. Once again, the Casey twins composed the majority of the material, and they produced five of the 12 tracks. Cool & Dre, Jim Jonsin, Cainon Lamb, Bigg D, and Gorilla Tek split the rest of the duties, but nothing is out of character. And, as usual, the standouts typically involve the Caseys pleading admiration or devotion in a way that is neither too cool nor oversold, as on the radiant "Baby" (based on "Happy," Surface's classic proto-new jack ballad), "Love on You," and "Lay You Down." For whatever reason, "Tip of My Tongue" is not here, even though it would have been among the highlights. ~ Andy Kellman