Ronald and
Ernie Isley might be a little too old to make babies -- to be perfectly clear, father them -- but it's evident they're not too old to make baby-making music. Impressively enough,
Baby Makin' Music is their third strong album of the 2000s. A lot of younger artists in their prime can't claim such a thing.
R. Kelly, who wrote and produced most of 2003's
Body Kiss, is present on only one song here, but
the Isleys don't miss a step when it comes to staying up with the times, tapping the likes of the rising
Tim and
Bob -- who contributed in a minor capacity to
Body Kiss -- along with
Jermaine Dupri,
Troy Taylor, and
Bryan-Michael Cox. Electric fireworks from
Ernie's guitar are more recurrent than they were on
Body Kiss, but they're often buried so deep in the mix and treated in a way that makes them sound like they were made by a computer program that generates facsimiles of his style. Otherwise, there are no problems. This is a remarkably tight album filled with songs that deliver on the promise of its title, and the songs that aren't immediately memorable at least make for fitting mood music. To no surprise whatsoever,
Ronald is equally seductive whether he's making amends, bragging about his exploits, or just being sweet. Hearing him sing over
Gladys Knight & the Pips' 30-year-old version of
Curtis Mayfield's "The Makings of You," as he does over the opening "You're My Star," is kind of bizarre if you think about it, but it's only another way of demonstrating
the Isleys' enduring vitality -- across 50-plus years now. The
Isley Brothers name has been responsible for hours upon hours of quality music, so this album is destined to be lost in the shuffle of their '60s and '70s material. Groups young enough to be their grandchildren would be more than proud to call it their own. ~ Andy Kellman