London 2 Paris

Chronique

If you hear more than a hint of Morgan Heritage's sound in the modern roots and hip-hop/dancehall fusion of LMS's debut album, it's a sound that they come by honestly. These three siblings are actually the younger siblings of that famous brothers-and-sister act, and their older brothers Gramps and Mojo contributed as producers on several tracks. But LMS is far from being a clone of its more famous sibling team -- London 2 Paris finds the trio working in both a rawer roots mode and a funkier dancehall/hip-hop mode, and the resulting sonic mix is very impressive. Highlight tracks include tuneful lovers rock anthems like "Broke My Heart" and "No Other Girl," as well as the dancehall-flavored (and overly Autotuned) "Wit a 'G'." On the slightly less compelling side are "Not a Player," which features some of the most fake fake horns ever heard, and the waste-of-time "skits" that are scattered throughout the program. But the Spanish-tinged "I Adore You," with its rubbery ska beat and classical guitar licks, makes up for those minor missteps. Overall, this is a very impressive debut.

© Rick Anderson /TiVo