There's never going to be enough time to listen to every group in the world and sometimes the best will just slip right by us. For years I have known of Furthermore but they were just one of those bands that slipped by me. When I finally I got a chance to listen to them and I was glad I did. Now, this record might not make my list of favorites of mine but I was happy to hear a rap group not copying others.

She And I opens with a great kickoff track "Deliriously Cold" that will bring the listener right into the world of Furthermore. The song opens with just vocals and moves into a beat that will remind the listener (if they are old enough) of those good ol' dance party songs from the 80's (like young M.C.'s "Bust A Move"). The album then progresses into something different for the listener. "Thanks for Nothing" has an outer-space feel to it with a fast vocal track laid over a mellow beat and a successful mixing of rap and singing. "Letter to Myself" opens with a piano melody and rap vocals provided by Lee. "Going Somewhere Fast" is about a relationship that is going too fast, but it's not clear in what direction. Musically, this song lacks, but the lyrics made up for it. "Eighty-two" is a more upbeat track that brought back fond summer memories while offering some of the best lyrics on the disc, "We don't get naked and we don't trash hotel rooms." "We Need to Talk" follows, that musically sounds like a cross between John Reuben and Joy Electric. The next track is the title song "She and I" which opens with sweet vocals and moves into more upbeat rap vocals. The album closes with Lee singing without any raps from Fischer in "Fall On Me." I love her voice, but there is no meat to this song. It was sad to hear it end on that note.

Overall She And I is a good record. Fischer (lead vocals/raps) and Lee (backing vocals) worked hard to make sure this record had a sound all it's own. All the songs were well thought out but some just had no meat to bite into. Fischer's vocals also tend to follow the same bouncy flow without much variation. The title She And I tells you just what most of the album is about... relationships. Very few of the lyrics touched on faith, but that's I thought this was OK. Relationships are a part of our lives and they just so happen to be what Furthermore had on their mind when making this record. If you want to hear some fresh hip-hop with some food for though, go pick up Furthermore's latest effort She and I.

- Review date: 4/8/03, written by Matt Vest