::ALBUM REVIEW::

After their self-titled debut and earning a Stellar Award for Best Hip-Hop Album in 2007, 21:03 (Torrence, Evin, and Jor’El) serves up Total Attention, their sophomore project on the PAJAM imprint released through Verity/Zomba. And of course, PAJAM (Paul D. Allen, J Moss and Walter Kearney) are all in place to provide their brand of hip-hop/R&B upon the boy band. While the gospel industry follows mainstream phases pretty slowly, especially knowing that boy band groups n’Sync, Backstreet Boys and B2K are all retired as of today (you know it’s bad when P. Diddy couldn’t find major success when making the band using reality TV), 21:03 continues to march onward and thrust forward using their formula of edgy hip-hop production and urban-infused teen pop, even as the guys grow older and face new levels of maturity.

Their debut was a mix bag of good club beats and overcooked urban gospel and even felt uneven in some of the album’s corners with grown-up lyrical content bundled with upbeat teen power. But the group has grown up a bit and now faces the challenge of facing yet newer obstacles. The greatest of them all is to maintain their audience while converting newer ones. On Total Attention, the group leans on a mix of vocal styles resembling a hybrid of Take 6 and the ever-familiar background work of J Moss (a prime example rests on the opener “Riverside”). Definite signs of musical maturity, but the group remains youthful and runs back to banging beats like the bass-throbbing title cut, the Prince-sampled futuristic sounds of “Brace Up” and the ‘80s galactic synth-laden “You.” “Holding On To You,” which boasts a melodramatic performance from lead vocalist Evin Martin and the gents, is the album’s brightest star and shines far beyond the material of their debut. And with the fair balance of breezy piano arpeggios and cool R&B sounds, the song - with its touching lyrics - really gains the listener’s total attention. On “Now,” the trio gets cooler on the midtempo ballad and flickers with relatable storylines and a chorus filled with desperation for God’s help. Set to what feels like a R Kelly or a Stargate production on top of 21:03's sensitive vocals, the song finds the guys digging into deeper gospel territory. “Cover Me,” featuring guest spots from Fred Hammond, J Moss and Smokie Norful, is a tour de force to reckon with and would feel like a train wreck if placed in the wrong hands, but each singer takes turns and dance around the power ballad.

21:03 also revives the overlooked ballad “Power of Christ” from their first project and finds the group singing the cut in an uncredited live location. The song’s bubbling melody is charming on the live sounds while the guys bursts into vocal belting; hoping to end all speculation of the group’s premature vocal skills. They aren’t as tight collectively as the Winans or Men of Standard, but they probably sing better than most mainstream pop bands.

Still, some songs don’t connect easily as others. A lack of melody and CCM sounds drown out “Free” and “Talkin’ About” gets cocky in its presentation, especially when the group brags about their Stellar victory (That’s when the Lord stepped in/delivered from sin/the Stellars we win). And even when the group walks down more traditional paths like on “Riverside,” the song feels more like a sympathetic token of appreciation than a serious heartfelt performance. And in some place, the guys take big risks with the vocal aerobics that they land in some very faulty places.

But Total Attention is far from being uneven and unrealistic like their debut and finds the group working with sounds that feel more mature for the group. Sounds similar to Chris Brown, NeYo and Usher run rampant here, rather than the campy kid-pop of yesterday. And the group is obviously surrounded by better material and is showing signs of vocal maturity. We even find new member Jor’El, whom replaced Sean Grant after his 2006 exit, delivering a piano/vocal solo on the short, but worshipful “Testimony” towards the end of the disc. If there’s one thing that’s quite evident about Total Attention it is that PAJAM avoids the previous mistakes and is rebuilding the group’s image as time dissipates. We all are now aware that the guys are more than just a heartthrob trio that know a few dance moves. Even with the few bloopers in place, Total Attention is aimed at giving the group a well-deserved personality and does a good job in accomplishing that.