The Verdict: Day 26

Q, Bryan, Willie, Mike, Robert

Day 26 will be releasing their first self-titled album next Tuesday. I have had it for a few days now. Another of Diddy's MTB groups, Day 26 drops one week after their female counterparts Danity Kane. "Counterparts" is not really a true statement though - DK's album is clearly pop through and through, while Day 26 is squarely aimed at those who miss straight up R&B groups like 112, Jodeci, Dru Hill, Next, etc. But much like DK, they all get to sing on the album. Also much like DK, they have a powerhouse of producers and writers behind them - Bryan Cox (Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige), Mario Winans, The Runners (TI, Chris Brown, Rick Ross), and Diddy himself.
I notice Robert the most (due to the quality of his voice and due to the fact that he does a ton of the ad libs), but all the guys deliver. "Since You've Been Gone", "Are We In This Together", "Exclusive", "Co-Star", and "In My Bed" could all be singles. The bonus track "Free" is a decent mid-tempo as well.
It bugs me when groups make their first album self-titled. That used to mean something - artists would only do that when they were in real control of what was on the album, when they wrote it and crafted it from the ground up. Most of the time on a first album, artists are doing what they have been told to do - especially a group who were thrown together last year and had to make a complete album in 5 weeks. For an album made under those conditions, this is a decent effort, and as they find their groove this might be a great group.