Baha Men are best known for their hit "Who Let the Dogs Out," and judging by this album -- a series of prepackaged and glossy beats lacking the dancehall vibe that artists like
Sean Paul or
Shaggy can pull off -- it will remain as such. Aside from those beats, what is left is the synth-textured "Handle It," an effort that evokes thoughts of
Milli Vanelli. Grooves are so telegraphed in advance that only the occasional drum and percussion provide any authenticity. "Holla!" is more of a party, a summer beach anthem that one might find catchy thanks to its chorus, but nevertheless it is not quite memorable.
Baha Men aren't afraid to go into other genres for a fusion with reggae or Latin. The flamenco guitar kicking off "Hold Ya Head" is OK, but again there is very little substance to cling onto. With a myriad of different producers and a lengthy list of supporting cast members, the songs appear to be over-produced or too thought-out, particularly "Tempted," although the lead vocals by Ryan Andrews and Rick Carey are strong before going into a
Gerardo-like rap. Bands like
Black Eyed Peas could certainly revamp and energize "Jump," but
Baha Men do an adequate job of placing some much needed soul into the tune. A Caribbean-meets-salsa-meets-funk vibe on "Music" would do wonders, if not for some superfluous keyboards once again diminishing the tune. Unfortunately, "Lemmeworkit" is part rap mixed with cello, all within a hip-hop-reggae foundation. And it just never gets off the ground, possibly due to the song having ten writing credits. One exception is the heavier bass groove during "Summertime Girls." Here the ditty resembles
50 Cent's "In da Club" mixed with some melody that
Def Leppard never recorded. ~ Jason MacNeil