Though I have always been repelled by punk's thuggishness, "A South Bronx Story" was the fruit not of thuggishness, but of pure childlike innocence that I had never heard before. The rhythms were indeed rather uncalculated but never noisy, and the vocals of Renee and her sisters possessed a beauty that can only come out of simplicity, as well as a romantic feeling that was could seemingly see both sides ("up, high, down low" being typical) rather than being sentimental.

The songs themselves are distinctly minimalist, chiefly relying on basslines and percussion, but the occasional guitar line is most distinctive because it is so untrained, notably on the famous "UFO", which really does need to be heard in its proper setting rather than as a sample. The dramatic, if not fiery, "Moody" is bound to give any listener an upbeat feeling with its almost real-life description of a girl looking for a lover: Renee never feels guilty of what she wants to say, she just says it. The same feeling permeates all of the first ten songs on the record, with the other highlight being the distinctive beat/minibeat rhythm of "Tiny Sticks" that yet again shows the way thuggishness is so opposed to expression. "My Love For You" might be purely a dance number, but never has something this accessible sound so charming, yet the voices of the Scroggins sisters seem able to bounce back and forward effortlessly and without strain. Even on more conventional numbers in the latter half of the record, like the funk-rock "Erase You" and "Get Funky," ESG failed to use their trademark naïvete.

Like later trip-hop groups, ESG showed how beautiful simple rhythms can be for listening pleasure. This was not really something to dance to; it was music that shows the beauty of innocent simplicity. The pictures of the Scroggins sisters on the back cover are really charming and should be seen.

Post funk consists of funky melodic bass lines, spare vocals, and African or Latin percussion usually filtered through digital delay equipment for an atmospheric slightly creepy feel. Unlike the funk music of the seventies, the guitar sound is thin and it's kept in the background.

Even though post funk music had its heyday in the New York City of twenty years ago, it is still heavily sampled by hip-hop artists. "UFO," an ESG track produced by the infamous Martin Hannett, remains an especially popular choice.

ESG's skeletal grooves may sound hollow to fans of either top forty dance music or classic motor city funk. But every song on this CD is fabulous for both dancing and listening. Overall, it doesn't sound nearly as dated as more mainstream eighties stuff, which makes "A South Bronx Story" a timeless treat for the college/indie crowd.

How surprised was I when, 20 years later and living in upstate NY, I hear "Moody" mixed into some dumb Old Navy sound track. Well, my knees neatly buckled but my hips started swiveling. What a joyous moment that was for me. Emerald Sapphire and Gold. ESG.