City High

by Jon AzpiriIt's no surprise this trio is the latest brainchild of Fugees member Wyclef Jean. The young trio, which features two men and one woman, looks like an updated version of the Fugees Grammy-winning formula. Jean has had success producing groups such as Destiny's Child and Product G&B, and he hopes to continue his string of crossover success with the City High's self-titled debut album. While this album lacks the depth of the Fugees work, it stands as an impressive debut to build on. The trio of Robby Pardio, Claudette Ortiz, and Ryan Toby integrate hip-hop rhythms with butter-smooth R&B vocals as on the Clark Kent produced cut, "15 Will Get You 20." Their cover version of Donny Hathaway's "Song for You" doesn't come close to the power of the original, but still stands on its own and is an outstanding showcase for Pardio's impressive tenor voice. His stellar vocals and Toby's rhymes show just where R&B may be going in the years to come.