Mrs Scroggins bought her daughters Valerie, Renee, Deborah and Marie musical instruments to keep them off the streets of the Bronx. So her girls got caught up instead in the only slightly less scary No Wave scene of the early 1980s, making innovative funk, playing with the Clash and performing at the Haçienda. So much for parental control. ESG's fusion of sweet soul and punk attitude with an intuitive understanding of dance music remains, and Step Off is proof that their eclecticism hasn't diminished. The production is still sparse, with the prominent bass (played by Renee's daughter Nicole following Deborah's departure) providing the groove around which ESG experiment. Renee's vocals, once high and girlish, are now mature and sassy, though her jazzy style is a bit Cleo Laine on Be Good to Me. My Street tries too hard, but Six Pack, a plea not for a toned male torso but beer, proves ESG are as cool as ever.