FFWD Weekly
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| CD Review by Frank Litorco MELKY SEDECK • Debut album for Melky and Sedeck Jean, a sister/brother combo following in the musical footsteps of their eldest sibling, Wyclef Jean (solo artist and member of The Fugees). The release of Sister & Brother has led me to one major conclusion: Melky Sedeck have obviously used Groove Theory’s 1995 self-titled debut album as their blueprint for their own debut. Not that this is such a bad thing, mind you, since Groove Theory’s simple, soulful arrangements, tagged with unpretentious execution made that release some pretty fine listening. But the parallels between Groove Theory and Melky Sedeck are so uncanny that one has reason to be a little wary. Melky Jean and GT’s Amel Larrieux could easily be mistaken for one another with their vocal styles. There’s also the identical Quiet Storm feel that both albums evoke – smooth, uncluttered beats, those strings, the subdued funk. In fact, I’d bet my Marvin Gaye silk boxers that in a blind test, you’d swear that only one record was being played. On the other hand, Sister & Brother sounds so effortless and uncontrived that, like finding a pretty good fake of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, it’s hard to deny even the talent that went into the counterfeit. There’s their tango-inspired "Armageddon" that falls nothing short of brilliant, the sublime "Raw," and also their respectable remake of "To Sir, With Love." The entire album (surprisingly including their hidden track of Milli Vanilli’s "Tragedy") has a flow that very few albums of this genre today can attempt to match. Props also to Melky Sedeck for not involving big brother Wyclef (that soon-to-be-forgotten overrated Puffy try-hard), as much as they could have. The simplicity of this release makes it easy to dismiss this album as generic soul pop music. But just like Groove Theory, it’s exactly this quality that makes the record such an easy and refreshing listen. For the moment, the benefit of the doubt is theirs. 4/5 |
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