Kevin Lyttle

Review

Common Sense Media says

Sweet, soulful Caribbean fun for teens and older.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that 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.

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What's the story?

On the self-titled KEVIN LYTTLE album, 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.

Is it any good?

 

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.

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What families can talk about

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?

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Kevin Lyttle
Release date:July 27, 2004
Label:Atlantic
Genre:Dancehall/Reggae
Parental advisory:No
This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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