Kevin Lyttle

Sweet, soulful Caribbean fun for teens and older.

Artist: Kevin Lyttle
Genre: Dancehall/Reggae Label: Atlantic Parental Advisory: No Edited Version Available: No Release Date: 07/27/2004

Common Sense Note

Despite dancehall and soca's reputation for some raunchy lyrics, this album stays relatively clean. The wonderful Caribbean-inspired dance beats mixed in with some soulful grooves does bring sexual innuendo, but stops just short of explicit.

Families can talk about the birth of the soca and dancehall styles of music. What other musical genres influenced these styles? What kind of mood do soca and dancehall evoke?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark

Kevin Lyttle's brand of soca (the musical blend of soul and calypso) is appealing and danceable, enhanced by honey-smooth vocals and exquisite production standards.

"Turn Me On," the debut single produced in a no-frills St. Vincent recording studio, took the international dance music world by storm. The album that follows includes a few too many tunes that seem to vie for the position of "the next 'Turn Me On'" -- but the formula is so appealing that it doesn't really matter; turns out that calypso steel drum rhythms and R&B crooning work really well together.

Kevin Lyttle's style seems to come from the heart, and his singing is smooth, but strong as he nails those high notes with effortless confidence.

A little more musical variety would be nice, and the repetitive lyrics never veer far from themes of love and/or seduction (stopping just short of explicit), but that's all less important than the overall sound -- the percussive punch of calypso rhythm under vocals that are silky, sexy, and light as a sunny summer breeze.

For other dance music, check out Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtado.

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