Preacher's Son

10/31/2003 9:00 PM, LAUNCH
Dan Leroy

Over the past several years, almost no one in urban music has displayed more ambition than Wyclef Jean. Unfortunately--and somewhat ironically, given the status quo blandness that permeates the genre--that ambition has usually proved 'Clef's undoing, as his attempts to cover all stylistic bases have resulted in albums less than the sum of their divergent parts. He certainly hasn't given up the dream of being all things to all people; his latest parties to Damascus with Missy Elliott, basks in the warmth of Carlos Santana's guitar licks, and invites U2's the Edge aboard for an indistinguishable cameo on "Class Reunion," but those attempts to impress sound as forced as ever. The core of this effort, however, reveals a somewhat simpler and humbler 'Clef, one who's as often satisfied to be a love chiropractor instead of the world-changing reincarnation of Bob Marley, and who even dreams about a Fugees reunion (his feud with bandmate Pras notwithstanding). And that helps make his usual crooning forays into reggae and soul--sweeter and more frequent here than normally--Jean's most satisfying post-Fugees music yet.