First Listen: TROOP returns after a “Million Years”

troop

(November 14, 2016) “My Heart.” Mamacita.” “Spread My Wings.” “All I Do Is Think of You.” 80s and 90s babies probably remember their peers (or even maybe their parents) singing along with the agile harmonies or pop-locking to their irresistible uptempos. The Pasedena, CA-based quintet Troop enjoyed Billboard chart hits, gold-selling plaques and even maintained their loyal fan base through years of hiatus and label switches. It’s a legacy they hope to build on as they move forward with the tear-stained break-up ballad, “Not In a Million Years.”

For all the divergent paths the members have taken over the years — Allen McNeil went solo and Steve Russell emerged as an in-demand songwriter and producer as part of The Underdogs while writing hits for Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown — the quartet’s vocals have enriched with time and still click compellingly into place  There’s no modern-day bravado, no begging; just sparse keyboards and percussion underpinning the slow-burning anguish of men licking self-inflicted wounds as they wail about a replacement in her heart….and their bed: “You started out by saying that you loved me, so I knew something was coming that would break me down….she said she gave away the one thing that would tear this thing apart.” 

Keep the tissues on-deck and an ear at the ready for Troop to get fans open once again. 

By Melody Charles

Troop – “Not In A Million Years”

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