Rating:
Genre:
World
Release Date: 07/27/2004
The travel bureau of St. Vincent -- the island
soca singer
Kevin Lyttle hails from -- claims their paradise has "More Fun! More Flair! More Fantasy!" Same could be said of
Kevin Lyttle's debut; just put a couple extra exclamation points after "Fantasy."
Lyttle's breezy and dreamy voice supplies the flair, lilting lightly over a musical background that is as sparkling as it is limited. That's the biggest mistake the debut makes; it takes five tracks to get to anything that doesn't try to repeat the big hit single,
"Turn Me On," and there's not enough variety to give the singer a full-fledged personality. His version of
Terence Trent D'Arby's
"Sign Your Name" is a welcome breather from all the seduction, as is the jazzy and semi-organic
"So High." Wish there was more of it, but there's a great soundtrack to a perfect-weather, sensual vacation in here if you program the tracks right.
"Turn Me On" is such a perfect grind jam it's no surprise the album tries to recapture it. It almost does with
"Never Wanna Make U Cry," "I Got It," and
"My Lady," but tracks like the
Ricky Martin wannabe
"Mama Mia" and the goes-nowhere
"Ya Kiss" don't deserve their company. Luckily, 13 tracks means you can skip the filler and still be left with a decent amount of good material.
Lyttle's been introduced as
soca to the core, but his version is heavily influenced by pillow-talk
R&B, and don't be surprised when he drops a
dancehall riddim. This
lovers-
soca style doesn't feel forced on
Lyttle by some record company executive; it really seems like it comes from his heart. Recording a song at a humble studio in St. Vincent, watching it take Europe and America by storm, and being crowned the new king of the bedroom must have been a whirlwind. Who can blame the singer for going with what he knows? A little less formula next time would be nice but
Lyttle has a voice that can make paint and undergarments peel off, plus an instant classic with
"Turn Me On." Not a bad start to a career -- not bad at all.
~David Jeffries, All Music Guide
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