Despite Wyclef Jean still having no problem scoring hit singles, all his albums released after The Carnival have been pretty lackluster. Now he's trying again with Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant.Scooter McGavin is on point with his review, but I'll say that by looking at the title alone, it appears that Clef himself realizes the quality of said albums, which is why he's possibly reverting back to his old formula. But considering that the original Carnival came out over ten years ago, the problem lies within that formula now sounding dated. But Clef isn't actually going back that far per se: there's no rapping on this album (well, not from him, anyway). The problem is the same problem he usually has: he's trying to mix too many styles at once.The thing is, every song on this album is so different from the last that it almost makes you wonder if you're listening to a Now That's What I Call Music compilation. This is especially evidenced by the unfocused "Touch Your Button" medley, as well as the Chamillionaire-assisted "Hollywood Meets Bollywood", which is about as accessible as a Panjabi MC song. And when Clef reunites with people that helped him make hits in the past, the results don't carry that same spark. The Shakira-assisted "King & Queen" doesn't go anywhere, and "What About the Baby" (with Mary J. Blige) is just plain weird (it's a tad better than "911", but that's not saying much).There are only four songs on here that stand out: the first two singles ("Sweetest Girl", even though it really isn't about anything, but hey, what would a hit song be without Akon and Lil' Wayne?; and "Fast Car"), and the two-in-a-row of "Any Other Day" (with Norah Jones) and "Heaven's in New York". Speaking of the latter, though, that's the only song on the whole album that doesn't feature anyone. Carnival II is better than a lot of the albums Wyclef has been releasing lately, but it can't compare to the original Carnival. Maybe he, Lauryn and Pras really should get back together and this time release an entire album instead of just a single.Anthony Rupert
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