Tristan Wilds was only four years old when Enter the Wu-Tang was released, but he snared fellow Staten Island native Method Man for the first song of his debut album, in which the Wire and 90210 actor proclaims, "The Shaolin is back again." While Wilds is predominantly a singer who couldn't possibly be termed hardcore, music of the early to mid-'90s -- specifically post-new jack R&B, or hip-hop soul -- informs much of New York: A Love Story. Wilds even re-envisions Michael Jackson's 1992 single "Remember the Time" by softening and slowing it into something of a 1994-1995 throwback. Other high points include the breezy "My Crib," the harder "Henny" and "Own It," and "U Can Cry to Me," which would lose none of its appeal without the guest appearances from Raekwon and Doug E. Fresh. This is a promising first step from a smooth, thoughtful, and understated voice.