Tease - Tease [CD]

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of Tease's 1983 debut including three bonus tracks. The Los Angeles R&B scene of the 1980's was a place known for slick studio work and Ray Parker Jr., a Detroit import, had made a name for himself on the Sunset strip, writing and producing for a plethora of artists including his own act, Raydio. Somehow, he and his cohorts in Raydio, namely one Ollie Brown, found their way around the R&B scene in this era, rather deftly. Tease, first assembled in 1979 in LA, changing it's members with each album; the group in this 1983 debut was perhaps their strongest incarnation. The falsetto's on the opener, 'Flash' let's the lead vocals shine for the remainder of the album. Songs like 'I Found in You' and 'Part of Me' step outside the bands influences in that they are conventional ballads, without the kind of humour that keeps you from taking the songs completely seriously. Both 'What Should I Do' and 'Saturday Night' tread a new wave/pop/rock territory that shows Tease venture out of comfortable R&B and Funk lands - but at the same time, do not sound completely out of place or uncomfortable for the band. 'Bite' and 'Pretty Little Lady' bring that hard funk in heavy doses, while 'Put the Brakes on Baby' goes left with an interesting bridge that shows the most originality of their grooves on the record, but goes a little more obviously risque toward the end, almost to their detriment.