Urban Music Reviews

GRADE: A

After a string of ambitious (but ultimately underwhelming) albums, Wyclef Jean impresses with the sequel to his solo debut, 1997’s The Carnival: Featuring the Refugee All-Stars.Carnival II, like the classic LP which it borrows its name from, is inventive, fresh, experimental and pretty damn genious.

Since Clef’s debut, he has crafted gems for everyone from Mary J Blige to Shakira to Mick Jagger to T.I. With such an impressive track record, it’s no surprise that the former Fugee was able to call in guest appearances from artists like Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Norah Jones and Shakira. Of course, great features don’t always equal a classic album (cough cough, 50 Cent).

The album’s first single, “Sweetest Girl,” is exceptional. The pairing of Wyclef and Akon is predictably solid and Lil Wayne fits in far better than expected. Unfortunately, every time I hear the song all I can think is: THIS is the kind of record that Fugees should have come back with. “Fast Car” feat. Paul Simon and “Any Other Day” feat. Norah Jones are also stand outs that will remind you of Wyclef circa ‘97 while still showing that he has grown as an artist.

The album is, however, not without flaws. The unnecessarily long and painfully Black Eyed Peas-ish “Touch Your Button” is so musically ambitious that it hurts to not like it. The song (which clocks in at about 13 minutes…), is not awful, but it is reminiscent of the random and schizophrenic nature of Clef’s less impressive records. “King & Queen” featuring Shakira also has its moments, but ultimately falls short.

Wyclef Jean’s Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant is a damn good album. It manages to be experimental, innovate and exciting without losing its mainstream pop appeal. The problem is, when an album has so many great qualities, its shortcomings stand out like a soar thumb.