2nd Wave
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Album Summary
Dropped in 1988 on Columbia Records, '2nd Wave' was Surface's sophomore effort, and baby, these brothers came back with something to say. Following the warmth and promise of their 1986 debut, the trio returned to the studio with producer David Townsend and their own creative hands guiding the sessions, crafting a record that sat right in the pocket of that late-'80s R&B moment — smooth, polished, and built on real vocal chemistry. This was a group that understood the assignment: lush harmonies, romantic intentions, and production that felt contemporary without losing its soul. '2nd Wave' was Surface finding their stride, deepening their sound, and delivering eight tracks of the kind of grown-folks R&B that made late-night radio feel like home.
Reception
- The album performed on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B charts, reinforcing Surface's standing as reliable hitmakers in the late 1980s R&B landscape.
- Critical reception was warm, with reviewers taking note of the group's tight vocal harmonies and the consistently polished, radio-ready production throughout the record.
- '2nd Wave' helped establish Surface as a dependable presence in an era crowded with R&B talent, distinguishing them through their melodic sensibility and ensemble cohesion.
Significance
- '2nd Wave' stands as a genuine artifact of late-'80s smooth R&B — the kind of album that reminds you this era had depth, craft, and heart well beyond the flash of new jack swing.
- The album showed that Surface had the songwriting chops and vocal discipline to operate in a mainstream pop-R&B lane without ever feeling like they were chasing trends rather than setting a tone.
- In a time when production sophistication was rapidly evolving, '2nd Wave' represented the vocal-group tradition holding its ground — proof that harmonies and sincerity still moved people.
Tracklist
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A1 Shower Me With Your Love 131
4:53
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A2 Closer Than Friends 96
4:44
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A3 Can We Spend Some Time 128
4:30
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A4 You Are My Everything 96
4:28
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B1 I Missed 100
4:56
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B2 Black Shades 116
4:57
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B3 Hold On To Love 104
4:10
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B4 Where's That Girl 110
4:31
Artist Details
Surface was a smooth R&B and quiet storm act centered around vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Bernard Jackson, who emerged out of the late 1980s and early 1990s New York scene with a silky, sophisticated sound that wrapped around the soul like a warm blanket on a cool night. Their debut in 1987 brought a polished brand of adult contemporary R&B to radio waves, and hits like The First Time earned them a devoted following among fans who appreciated melodic, heartfelt love songs with real production craft behind them. Surface may not have set the charts on fire with flash, but they carved out a meaningful lane in the quiet storm tradition, reminding the world that sometimes the most powerful music is the kind that speaks softly but cuts deep.
