ALBUM REVIEWS / POP

Color Me Badd, “Now and Forever,” ** Giant. Is this the same group that once impishly declared “I Want to Sex You Up”? CMB sounds so mellow and respectable these days that Boyz II Men and All-4-One look like hard-edge renegades by comparison. Faith Evans co-wrote “On My Mind” with the group, and her sultry backing vocals provide some welcome color. Elsewhere, baddness is in woefully short supply.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).