Sean Paul took the pop world by storm in 2003 with the release of the dancehall pop smash
Dutty Rock, placing songs at the top of the charts, videos in heavy rotation, and his face all over the place. He took his time releasing the follow-up, 2005's
Trinity, and rather than going even more pop,
Paul heads toward a harder, more aggressive sound. The songs sound tailored for dancefloors rather than pop airplay. This approach works for a song or two -- this may be a result of a shift in producers from big names with poppier backgrounds like
Sly & Robbie,
the Neptunes, and
Steely & Clevie to lesser-knowns like
Delano Thomas,
Michael Jarrett,
Craig Parks, and
Donovan "Vendetta" Bennett. Each song relies on standard synth sounds and straightforward beats, and there are precious few surprises on the record, sound-wise. Even
Steven "Lenky" Marsden, the undisputed star producer on
Dutty Rock, fails to do much with his songs on
Trinity. Of course, blaming the producers for a lack of hooks and excitement is like blaming only the coach when a team goes in the tank; you have to lay a large portion at
Paul's feet since he co-wrote all the songs, delivers the vocals, and has his name on the marquee. His vocals are strong enough but, overall, lack the freshness and vigor of those on
Dutty Rock. But The opening run of songs ("Head in the Zone," "We Be Burnin'," "Send It On," and "Ever Blazin'") have all the subtlety (and titles) of a hyperactive workout mix, and a handful of the songs do have a glimmer of the spark that burned so brightly on
Dutty Rock. There are a few songs, like the bouncy "Head to Toe," the bouncier "Straight Up," the slick
Nina Sky feature "Connection," and "Yardie Bone" (which has smooth vocals from
Wayne Marshall, a much needed light production from
Bennett, and is probably the best song on the album) which help to lift the album out of its somber funk. ~ Tim Sendra