Fugee this, Fugee that

"The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book"; Wyclef Jean; Columbia

Bring back the Fugees.

That`s the cry of former Fugee front man Wyclef Jean in his sophomore solo effort, "The Ecleftic." The first track on the album, a skit, features Jean talking to record executives about his upcoming album, but all they`re interested in is a Fugees reunion. "All I hear is Fugee this / Fugee that," sings Jean in response. And thus the album begins.

And when these 19 tracks spin to a close, you can`t help but wish that the Fugees would put out another album.

It`s not that "The Ecleftic" is a poor effort. Quite the contrary, Jean is exceptionally talented, masterfully blending reggae, R&B and soul to craft these songs - he even dabbles with a bit of country and rock `n` roll. Despite the technical expertise and occasional flashes of passion, the album never takes off the way "The Score," the Fugees 1996 debut, did. Back then, Jean was doing something revolutionary, fresh and exciting, and you could feel the raw energy in each song. This new album doesn`t generate the same kind of emotion.

And it`s not for lack of trying.

Jean gets Kenny Rogers to humorously say, "Yo, this is Kenny Rogers chilling on the country side," on the introduction to a remixed version of "The Gambler." Jean also performs Pink Floyd`s "Wish You Were Here" and brings in such notable guest stars as Mary J. Blige, Youssou N`Dour and Whitney Houston. However, none of this steak makes up for the lack of sizzle.

Still, there`s enough here to whet one`s appetite for a reunion of Jean and ex-Fugee Lauryn Hill. There`s the retro-style hip-hop of "It Doesn`t Matter," a cute riff about trying to get into dance clubs by feeding the doorman a bunch of lies. Boasts such as "I got fifty Bentley`s in the West Indies," get a chorus of girls singing, "It doesn`t matter."

The two slow, soulful songs on the album are also excellent. "911" is a simple song about falling in love, with trite - yet sincere - lyrics such as, "Someone please call 911 / Tell them I just got shot down," through the heart, that is. Jean`s raspy voice is beautiful, passionate, and sincere. "Diallo," features the Haitian-born artist at his best. It`s a sad reggae/R&B track that mourns the loss of the Bronx man who was shot to death by the New York City police.

Reggae, dub, country, rock: Wyclef does it all. But as "The Ecleftic" comes to a close, you`re still thinking Fugee this, Fugee that.

"Regrooving the Dream"; Patty Larkin; Vanguard.

It`s not often that you get to hear this kind of grown-up American-style music.

Patty Larkin expertly weaves traditional folk elements into each richly composed track on "Regrooving the Dream." The result is a haunting mix of smoky poetry that`s best described as a mix of country, rock and blues. Larkin, who studied music at the Berklee College of Music in the `70s, impressively struts her stuff on acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, keyboards, and accordion.

But more than just skillfully done, each song on the album is passionately rendered. Larkin`s songs celebrate the loner, the individual struggling to retain a sense of herself in an increasingly generic world. Note these lyrics from "Beg to Differ," a smooth and almost upbeat tune: "You say everybody`s marching to the same beat / Everybody`s thinking of the same thing / But I will, I will / Beg to differ with you."

Larkin also incorporates a sort of philosophy of chance, a worldview that embraces the unexpected, the unplanned, and the unwanted and shapes it into something worthwhile. In the liner notes Larkin writes, "the characters in these songs are caught up in the warp of change, the gap in the plan, the twist of fate, the lapse in judgment that alters the course."

"Hotel Monte Vista," one of the best songs on the album speaks to Larkin`s ability to combine musical prowess with heartfelt storytelling. The song opens with a simple electric-guitar riff and bursts out with tribal-sounding drums and a very subtle bass-guitar groove. It`s the perfect backdrop for a story about a young girl with a broken heart getting married on a mountaintop. The sound Larkin succeeds in evoking could almost be described as Bruce Springsteen meets Sarah McLachlan.

And that`s the delight of Larkin: traditional folk stories cloaked in expertly crafted rock and country.

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: Emily Friedlander