Music

There probably has not been a dancehall/reggae album this good since...well since Sean Paul released Dutty Rock in 2002. The Trinity, amidst a large handful of references to weed, serenades women from all regions of the world. He stays true to his Caribbean roots and did not Americanize (euphemism for "sell out") his sound for this latest album. I will be the first to admit, however, that it is difficult to understand what he says most of the time. Regardless of that, so far I predict The Trinity to be the best warm-weather-with-the-windows-down-in-the-car-and-the-volume-up-high album this year...even though it was released last year, late last year. I cannot get enough of some of these songs right now.

01. Fire Links Intro I still do not like Intro tracks. This one did nothing to change that. I do not understand them; especially one that is 49 seconds long and yet just repeats the same thing over and over.

02. Head In The Zone A nice beat for a track that warms us up for the rest of the album ahead. I do tire easily of DJs and producers who yell at random intervals (see: Lil' Jon and DJ Clue), which is a blemish on this song.

03. We Be Burnin' We Be Burnin' was the first single released from this album. I became certain of a few things when I first heard this track: I would get this album and this would be the best track on it. I was right and wrong. This is a great song and definitely will get bodies on the dance floor, but not the best song on the album. That is a good thing. You can watch the video here.

04. Send It On This is a great example of a "catchy" song by Sean Paul standards. If I could figure out the words...they would be in my head all day!

05. Ever Blazin' This is my dark-horse pick for favorite track. The beat causes body parts to move of their own accord. Without realizing it you will be bouncing -- sitting, standing, laying down -- I don't care what you are doing. A great track to put on a mix you are making for your special lady friend if you want to add something with a beat.

06. Eye Deh A Mi Knee This is a fine song, but I can't help but think of Tunak Tunak Tun when I listen to it.

07. Give It Up To Me Time to slow it down some. One track that stands out as evidence that The Trinity does not have all of the energy that was in Dutty Rock. Do not misinterpret that, I did not say it was a bad song, just slower than others.

08. Yardie Bone This one is much less dancehall and much more reggae. In case you are curious, Wayne Marshall is featured.

09. Never Gonna Be The Same Another slower track. Sean Paul sets this song aside to reflect on the things that happen in our lives that are out of our control. It is a nice tribute to friends and family.

10. I'll Take You There A good song that would get more respect on an album with fewer "hits."

11. Temperature It is, unfortunately, unfair to the other tracks on the album for this song to appear. There are so many good songs on The Trinity, though this one just won't share the spotlight. As stated above, I was sure We Be Burnin' was as good as they could get. I was wrong.

12. Breakout It is a rare thing indeed when you can find an album you can listen to, start to finish, without skipping any songs. You *can* do that with this album, but if you were going to skip one song, this is probably it. It seems much less refined (for lack of a better word) than the other songs.

13. Head To Toe Has it been too long since he slowed it down for another ode to the ladies? I guess so. Apparently it was time for another. Probably the weakest of the slower songs, but the competition is stiff.

14. Connection One thing Sean Paul did so well on Dutty Rock was collaboration tracks with recent hot, female artists. This is the big one on The Trinity, featuring Nina Sky. She sounds good with him.

15. Straight Up Despite being a three-minute track, it seems to go too fast. The song is, overall, unremarkable -- neither good nor bad. It is fine, and well placed tucked at the end of the album.

16. All On Me Another collaboration song with a female artist. Sean Paul and Tami Chynn team up for this track. A mediocre song.

17. Change The Game Featuring Looga Man & Kid Kurup. This song saves the slow fall-off that was happening. The last few tracks made you think the album had run out of steam. Unfortunately, this track does what many do at the end of hip-hop albums recently; the featured artist takes the front seat and Sean Paul appears only as support.

18. The Trinity Last but not least, the title track. You have made it through 17 tracks to get here; the choice is yours if you let the last one play. You will not miss much if you stop now. The strength of the album is early.

The album's title, if you are curious, has a three-part meaning: this is Sean Paul's third album, it took three years to create, and it was "all done right here in the Third World*," according to him.

*The Trinity was recorded entirely in Jamaica.

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01. Don McLean - American Pie 02. Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee 03. Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me 04. Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar 05. Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine 06. Neil Diamond - I am...I said 07. The Temptations - Just My Imagination 08. Isaac Hayes - Theme from "Shaft" 09. James Taylor - You've Got A Friend 10. Rod Stewart - Maggie May 11. Santana - Black Magic Woman 12. Dawn - Knock Three Times 13. Three Dog Night - An Old Fashioned Love Song 14. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen The Rain 15. John Lennon - Imagine 16. The Isley Brothers - Love The One You're With 17. Cat Stevens - Peace Train 18. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

...Challenge!

The first time I heard Panic! At The Disco was at a friend's house; he put it on while he played Need For Speed: Most Wanted for XBOX 360. My initial impression was that the band sounds eerily similar to Fall Out Boy, and come to find that Panic! was the first band signed under Fall Out Boy lead singer Peter Wentz's record label Decaydance Records. Coincidence?

01. Introduction The introduction is a quick 36 second track. As far as intro tracks go, it is one of the better ones, though I am not a fan of using one to begin the album. When I say it is a better one, I mean only that it is less obtrusive than most.

02. The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage This is one of the more catchy tracks on the album. It is also a good representation of how the band tries to tie the rock and dance mentalities together.

03. London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines I think this is the track that sounds most like Fall Out Boy. I like FOB, so this is not a horrible comparison, but here is a strong argument of how Panic! may not have necessarily made a unique album. That said, this is still one of my favorite tracks.

04. Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks Nails is probably the track that was most disappointing to me. I do not like the music they chose for this one. It sounds more like a poor attempt at a mash up between a pop beat and rock lyrics.

05. Camisado This song is probably what the band had hoped to create most. It seems to embody the marriage of rock and dance. Difficult to sit still while this song plays.

06. Time To Dance This song is OK. The feeling I get most from this song is that the band tried too hard. It seems forced.

07. Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off Probably the closest Panic! will come to making a love song. And this is as close as they should get. It's another OK track that gets you tapping your feet and bobbing your head a little bit.

08. Intermission I have read a few reviews that highlight the Intermission. I have to disagree. I see no point in it other than for novelty value. If I want a break from the band, I will change CDs; I do not need a keyboard instrumental.

09. But It's Better If You Do It was high time for a jazzy track on this album, right? You got it. The tempo is not quite the same as the other tracks. I guess this serves me better as an intermission than the previous track.

10. I Write Sins Not Tragedies Let's continue the second-half strength. After the Intermission the album grows stronger. This is a good song that could easily be many listeners' favorite.

11. I Constantly Thank God for Esteban I like the use of the acoustic guitar here. Well in fact I like it too much so I got frustrated when they take it away. An OK track overall.

12. There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet This is probably my favorite track on the album. It is the most fun of all the songs and I can only hope the band had as much fun making it as I have listening to it. Maybe I am just a sucker for a horn, but I think the song brings more to the table than the rest.

13. Build God, Then We'll Talk An OK track. It does not do much for me overall, but does not rub me the wrong way. If this sing has to be on the album, might as well hide it at the end. It isn't the worst, just sounds the least like the rest of the album.

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01. Snoop Dog, Baby (Turn The Radio Off) 02. Sell Out (Turn The Radio Off) 03. Brand New Song (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 04. Beer (Turn The Radio Off) 05. Alternative Baby (Turn The Radio Off) 06. Drinkin' (We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy) 07. I Want Your Girlfriend to By My Girlfriend (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 08. Drunk Again (Cheer Up!) 09. She Has A Girlfriend Now (Turn The Radio Off) 10. She's Famous Now (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 11. We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful (We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy) 12. Talkin' Bout Revolution (We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy) 13. You Don't Know (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 14. Down In Flames (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 15. Somebody Hates Me (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 16. Big Star (Why Do They Rock So Hard?) 17. Everything Sucks (Turn The Radio Off) 18. Cheer Up (Cheer Up!)

...Challenge!

01. ATLiens (ATLiens) 02. Elevators (ATLiens) 03. Da Art of Storytellin' Part 1 (Aquemini) 04. Da Art of Storytellin' Part 2 (Aquemini) 05. The Whole World (Big Boi & Dre Present) 06. Hootie Hoo (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik) 07. Two Dope Boyz (ATLiens) 08. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik) 09. Skew It On The Bar-B (Aquemini) 10. Hey Ya (Speakerboxxx/Love Below) 11. Humble Mumble (Stankonia) 12. So Fresh, So Clean (Stankonia) 13. The Way You Move (Speakerboxxx/Love Below) 14. Players Ball (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik) 15. Crumblin' Erb (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik) 16. Behold A Lady (Speakerboxxx/Love Below) 17. Ms. Jackson (Stankonia) 18. Ain't No Thang (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik)

...Challenge!