Although MTV’s “Making The Band” group Danity Kane has the number one album in the nation, according to Billboard charts, their brother band Day 26 has the stronger CD.

The pop-singing female quintet’s album, “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” was released March 18 while the self-titled debut album for male R&B group Day 26 came out one week later.

Both albums conclude with the theme song of “Making the Band 3” and have rapper, producer Sean “Diddy” Combs constantly chanting “bad boy” and narrating various songs. Danity Kane’s album offers listeners more upbeat tracks, but Day 26 has more variety.

Danity Kane

Danity Kane’s CD embodies its “dollhouse” theme with playful and fast-paced tracks, yet each track almost sounds identical. The songs are full of energy, but the staccato delivery and heavy syncopation get played out after awhile. The platinum-selling group even has artists, such as Missy Elliott and Rick Ross, featured on their album, yet it still lacks flavor and originality.

One song, “Pretty Boy,” sounds like a techno tune mixed with a bit of the Spice Girls’ “If You Wanna Be My Lover.” The track “Bad Girl” takes listeners on a creepy merry-go-round with the catchy, repetitive line “I can be your addiction/ If you wanna get hooked on me.”

Many other tracks, on Danity Kane’s album, have verses with words being spelled out, resembling songs by other pop artists, such as Fergie and Gwen Stefani. The most unique song of “Welcome to the Dollhouse” is “2 of You,” which has an intense rock-infused beat and the chorus of: “You’re so hot/ There must be two of you/ Boy you got me having breakfast in the afternoon.” The track also is inconsistent with the others because it has Aubrey O’Day, a Danity Kane member, doing a solo rap at the end while no other member gets featured by herself.

Although Danity Kane’s vocals are stronger than Day 26’s and the album sounds more cohesive, it is not too impressive to be their sophomore CD. Their growth is apparent from their previous self-titled debut album, and their song content and album cover has a sexier edge.

Day 26

The album for Day 26, named for Aug. 26 when Diddy formed the band, shows variation and depth in each track. People who have watched “Making The Band 4” will easily be able to distinguish each singer’s voice. This album does not really have a central theme besides focusing on the joys and pitfalls of love.

The soft yet sultry ballad, “What It Feels Like” offers listeners a soothing sound with lyrics, “Summer nights on the beach/ Underneath the rain drops/ Wind blowin’ through ya hair/ This is what it feels like.” Other tracks that were featured on the show, such as “Got Me Going” and “Co Star” are album favorites because of their signature tempo and melody. “Co Star” is unique because it is about guy wanting to be cast in the play of love with this woman. Their vocals collectively reach a peak in the song “If It Wasn’t for You.” This song culminates the album’s message of love and is the fastest track on the CD. The group generally sounds great, except the pitch is slightly off in the chorus of “Come with Me.”

Even though the band had many conflicts on the show, musically they sound as one unit. Willie takes the lead on many songs, but each member gets their time to shine. Day 26 gives listeners a full range of notes, styles and rhythms even though the album is filled with more mellow tracks. The men’s voices have matured since the group was first formed, and the album gives no hint of being their debut. Since Danity Kane has a head start on Day 26, only time will tell how far their album will go.

Heather Hope can be reached at [email protected].