So Much 2 Say (1990)

It's annoying to see such a skillful group resorting to trickery. The members of Take 6 perform gospel songs a cappella, in tight jazz arrangements; they can sing. So why — on their second album, So Much 2 Say, after winning three Grammy awards — do they interrupt a rapt traditional number like ''Something Within Me'' with an oddball interlude incorporating street talk? Why do they keep intruding jokes about how they don't use instruments? The album even starts with the sound of an orchestra tuning up — get it? Maybe Take 6 is just being playful, but even the vocal arrangements seem trickier than they need to be. What works best are the group's simpler, more heartfelt moments, which on this record tend to get swamped in irrelevant cleverness. C+