TLC 
Fanmail (LaFace)
Rating: 6 out of 7
By Billy Johnson Jr. 

   TLC's strong showing with this latest outing actually amazes during a time when most R&B/hip-hop follow-ups bore. Even if Fanmail doesn't move the 10 million-plus units that the trioÕs CrazySexyCool sold, it surely will not pose a disappointment at retail. 
   Don't let the so-so, slapping guitar-licked "Silly Ho"--by far one of the album's worst tracks--detract from the rest of the tunes, though it clearly alludes to the album's central theme: TLC's refusal to be slighted by men. 
   "No Scrubs," "Love Sick," "Automatic," and "I'm Good At Being Bad" relay this point to thematic violins, electronic instrumentation, '80s funk, and a sample of "Love To Love You, Baby," respectively. 
   While the pretty Babyface ballad "I Miss You So Much" will reach No. 1, expect T-Boz, Chilli, and Left Eye to make a huge impact with folkier offerings comparable to works from Dionne Farris and Alanis Morissette. Poignant guitars drive "Unpretty," co-penned by T-Boz, and "Come On Down," Diane Warren's edgy oral stimulant.
   I'm not really sure if I get the Fanmail album title, but R&B/hip-hop's most popular female trio will surely rule the pop charts for a couple years with this fine musical missive.