The first soca artist to crossover globally since
Kevin Lyttle
released "Turn Me On" in 2003, singer
Bunji Garlin
offers a much more rough and energetic take on the genre. Having collaborated with
Busta Rhymes
and been remixed by
Major Lazer
, his 2014 effort
Differentology
retains some of these pop influences with hip-hop beats and EDM production techniques scattered about. Album-opener "Red Light District" -- which begins "somebody give me a rhythm to activate the waistline on the feminine gender, NOW!" -- shuffles with an electro trap beat and features crystal clear production straight out of the R&B charts, while "Truck on D Road" appears here in its EDM-loving remix with rapper
A$AP Ferg
on board to add those dark hip-hop elements. Put a
remix in the middle and this vibrant splash from the edge of dance is such twisted disco it could be on
Diplo
's label
Mad Decent
, but the base of the album is still party-time soca, with hyped-up highlights like "Touchless" offering the slang and insider spark so central to the dancehall-fast, salsa-bright, and Trinidad-born genre. Add the reggae-infused "Over the Hills" and the big, pre-Carnival anthem/title track and
is a massive release, but jumbling the remixes into the album's regular track list is odd and redundant, and reveals that this isn't a tailored album but a catch-up compilation. That's fine, however, as
Bunji
has been on a roll as of late, racking up numerous soca hits while expanding the genre. He sees dance music as freedom and works
James Brown
-hard at delivering this message, while his combination of charisma and supreme leader stylings comes straight out of
Paisley Park
, even if
is a much more gruff character than
Prince
. Filled with the tracks that made him Trinidad's Soca Monarch, plus a favorite among those who those who like to see the boundaries of pop music pushed,
is a fine intro to this dynamic and vital artist. ~ David Jeffries