Record Review: Wyclef Jean - Carnival II Memoirs of an Immigrant (A)

Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Sony
12/4/2007

One can tell from the first notes of “Intro” that Carnival II will be an intense musical experience. Wyclef Jean is most known to me through The Fugees or “Gone til November,” but after giving this new album a listen I’ll be checking out his back catalogue. Intensely danceable, intensely verbose, Carnival II is filled with tracks of impressive un-obscured lyrics that anyone can understand. Reminiscent of Eminem in places (“Come on, chill out Angie, let daddy finish writin'”) only more intellectual and very much more island inspired, I’ve never heard a more listenable hip-hop record. Almost every track is filled with complex instrumentation and multiple layers of vocals, all blended together into perfect harmonies. Wyclef makes extensive use of guest vocalists (Paul Simon even makes an appearance), sometimes providing counterpoint to his own lyrics, sometimes singing multiple verses. Wyclef’s own trademark smooth voice is ever-present throughout, presenting the main message, but often blending with the music so well that it’s as if he’s actually the backup vocalist.

Highlights of the album are numerous and include “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill),” “Slow Down,” and “Fast Car,” (the Paul Simon track). The only low-point of the album is the overly urban “Selena,” purportedly about immigration to the US from south of the border. It doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album. The next-to-last track of the album is the thirteen-minute plus “Touch Your Button Carnival Jam.” Except for the closing guitar solo, which starts about 11 minutes in, it all sounds a little too arranged to be a real jam. Divided into different sections, it starts out weak, but if you have patience to listen deep, the last eight minutes or so are great.

Carnival II is a strong album that the listener can take as much as he wants from. It’s enjoyable at the most shallow, leave-it-on-in-the-background level, all the way up to carefully analyzing the lyrics for metaphors, and the meanings of the interplay of the instruments with the sound effects.

If you can grab the deluxe version, so much for the better.