Iyaz

Iyaz burst on to the international pop scene last year with the infectious single ”˜Replay’ that went on to top several charts around the world, giving the rookie an instant shot at fame. His debut album, Replay, is an extension of what made the single popular ”“ plenty of sun-drenched melodies, Caribbean-flavoured pop and odes to lovelies in skimpy clothes. Iyaz calls his music “Island pop,” drawing influences from his British Virgin Islands roots, but essentially it’s the kind of music that Sean Kingston (who is also Iyaz’s mentor) made popular a few years ago with the overplayed ”˜Beautiful Girl.’ Much of the album is about the ladies and for the ladies and Iyaz sings about love lost over racy synths and bongos (”˜Solo’); over strummy, Autotuned serenades laced with electronic beats he reassures another beautiful woman (”˜OK’) with the now clichéd “No woman, no cry.” ”˜Breathe’ is a ballad with a Michael Jackson touch, while ”˜Heartbeat’ sets a marching cadence and tambourine handclaps into a chorus that uses ”˜Little Drummer Boy’ as a hook.

There’s also a Bollywood remix of ”˜Replay’ tacked on, mixed by DJ Suketu, which feels strangely uncomfortable as a Bhangra beat and Punjabi vocals compete with a speeded up hook and doesn’t really add much to the record. The album is a pleasant enough listen but the relentless sunshine of it all begins to gnaw at the edges after a time. And while the lack of innuendo is refreshing and sincere, it’ll take a little more for Iyaz to break from the shadow of Kingston.

Key Tracks: ”˜Solo,’ ”˜Replay’