Everyman (SRO, 1994)

Everyman is (or was) a quartet from, I believe, the Turks and Caicos Islands in the British West Indies. If you can't tell from the cover art, this is bright, happy music suited for vacations relaxing on a tropical beach (bottle of Corona optional). Thus, hardcore roots reggae fans should seek entertainment elsewhere, but based on this, their only (?) album, Everyman is pretty good at what it does. The sound is vibrant and undeniably poppy: wailing electric guitars bridges, buzzing synthesizers, and over-the-top production that's the musical equivalent of a soft-focus camera lens. Still, Everyman remains reggae-centric; only two of the 10 tracks -- sappy ballads "Lucky Star" and "Angel of Mercy" -- neglect the one-drop rhythm altogether. Plus, you can tell that there's talent and money put into this product (again, see the snazzy cover), so it's all technically well done. It contains the catchy melodies and musical hooks needed to pull off this sound -- at least, on the first four tracks. When the melodies and hooks don't work, however, the hokeyness of it all becomes all the more apparent. Lead singer Leo Jones's vocals are technically solid but are so thin and nasal that he sounds like a cartoon character...and not a cool, Thundercat type either. Oddly, none of the band members wrote the lyrics -- it was executive producer Joe Zahm -- so they can't be blamed for the sentimentality of the messages of love and unity. This is touristy music, but it's pretty well done. It embraces its pop sensibility while still maintaining a reggae core. Too bad it seems to be all that exists of Everyman's legacy.