On the strength of “Grind with Me” and “Your Body,” unapologetically sleazy brother act Pretty Ricky sold over 800,000 copies of their debut album, Bluestars. Follow-up Late Night Special ups the ante even more. They make forebears like Jodeci and Bell Biv DeVoe sound like pent-up prudes. Now that the members are a couple years older (they’re no longer teenagers), their explicit flirtations don’t seem quite as mismatched, and they also benefit from a set of songs that is stronger and more memorable (“On the Hotline” and “Leave It All to You” especially) than the debut. Producer Music Royale, who replaces Jim Jonsin, comes up with track after track of appealingly radio-ready backdrops, and the lyrical content isn’t quite as one-dimensional. That said, lines like “Wanna drop it in your bucket,” “I wanna put it in your stomach like some Robitussin,” and “Make it firm like a bad perm” won’t be winning any awards for chivalrous subtlety. – Andy Kellman
more »