PPP [Platinum Pied Pipers]

When producers Waajeed and Saadiq dubbed themselves the Platinum Pied Pipers, they christened themselves with what is surely one of the dumbest, most awkward names in recent music history; and when they shortened it to simply PPP, they arguably just made it worse. But as awful as their group name is, the name of their new album, Abundance, couldn't be more apt. This album, at fifteen songs, does indeed offer an abundance of smokin' hot R&B chestnuts; with their usual rotating cast of musicians and vocalists, the PPP troupe cuts rap out of their equation completely for an album that encompasses Motown throwbacks, club-ready groovers, straight-up soul ballads, Latin jazz, and out-there sci-fi funk. It's an immensely soulful affair, the disparate genres fit together with uncanny grace, and the songwriting is wonderfully mature, tackling issues of love and relationships (and on one song, pimping) from a refreshingly grown-up perspective.

This album probably won't gain nearly the acclaim it deserves-- I blame the band name-- but it's absolutely great, and deserves to be remembered 11 months from now when those best-of-2009 lists are made