T.O.K

Boy bands, even ones of the Jamaican dancehall variety, have a lot to answer for. Sure, their sweet harmonies and style consultant outfits garner them legions of screaming girls. But is that any reason to settle for grade nine poetry and every production cliché in the book? T.O.K. are superstars in Jamaica, thanks to their tight harmonies, good looks and tough guy image, often created at the expense of queer culture (their hit, "Chi Chi Man," for instance). But this is basically Boyz II Men meet Beenie Man, and while they have unmistakable vocal talent, the songs leave much to be desired. "Guardian Angel" sounds like some Amy Grant outtake; the acoustic "Live it Up" attempts unsuccessfully to cram all the world's problems into one song; "Afternoon Pornstar" makes the mistake of assuming all females are of one mind (showing how little these guys really know about the opposite sex); and "I Wanna Love You" starts with the lyric: "My love is eternal/You can write that in your journal" ― need I say more? The Soca-influenced "Couple Up" fairs better but, as elsewhere, it is the deejaying that stands out. Check out the ultra-slack "Gimme Little" and "Me and My Dawgs" for more top-notch deejay stylee. And "Miss World," while otherwise lame, at least has Beenie Man at the controls to pull it through.