Kevin Lyttle (Bonus Tracks)

Album Review

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.