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SHADES

(PolyGram)

Four young women from Boston, Shades sing for the sake of singing. Forget the ferocity of En Vogue or the attitude of fixations of SWV or Jade, because trendy rhythms and egocentric accents have practically no place in this 11-song debut. The rhythmically inclined will have to settle for "Tell Me (I'll Be Around)." Elsewhere what you get is relaxing tunes like "How Deep Is Your Love," "Serenade," and "Last To Know," sung in a soft-spoken, painstakingly close harmony that surrenders individual performance to the melody. The idealism inherent in these vocals is almost hidden in the understatement of rhythm and solo, but it's there. Just as in early-'70s Philly soul ballads, which Shades songs like "Love Never Dies," "What Would You Do," and "I Believe" look back to, the dominance of sweet melody in a soft bed of melancholy is all about the search for ideal love in a less than ideal world.

-- Michael Freedberg

(Shades join the Jamizon tour this Friday, August 8, at Harborlights Pavilion; call 423-NEXT.)