All Original Boomshell (Penthouse, 1996)

Too often overshadowed by fellow dancehall-cum-lovers crooner Sanchez, Wayne Wonder makes a solid -- yet not overwhelming -- statement here of his own ability.  Compared to the elder Sanchez, Wonder's vocals are a bit more shrill and nasal, while his style (his beats, mainly) tends to lean a bit more towards a harder, more dancehall sound than Sanchez' sweet lovers rock.  Evidence of this is apparent in tracks like the up-tempo "Taking Control," the laid-back dancehall of "Emptiness," and "Canabis Vibes" (the latter being one of the best efforts of Wonder's career thus far), "Sail," which utilizes the classic rhythm from Barrington Levy's "Murderer," and "Wonder Surprise," a real surprise in that he chats with commendable aptitude (sounding a bit like Super Cat) on one of the album's best cuts.  More along Sanchez' lines are the lovers tunes "Zero" and "No More," an entrancing duet with fellow fave of producer Donovan Germain, Twiggy.  Several hits available elsewhere (thus diminishing their impact) round out All Original Boomshell: "Only You," featured on Reggae Gold 94, "What You Gonna Do," featured on Buju Banton's Til Shiloh, and "Saddest Day" (from Strictly the Best 14), which is actually remixed here with a generic hip-hop beat.  The true gold here, though, is in the non-hit album cuts.  Unfortunately, you have to sift through some mediocre material to find it.

Collectors Series (Penthouse, 1999)

Wayne Wonder finally achieves some degree of the spotlight on this "best of" collection, which includes many of the hits upon which he built his reputation.  He is arguably as adept as Sanchez at the art of the cover song, his best being Gloria Estefan's "Anything For You," which rides Sly Dunbar's "Unmetered Taxi" rhythm with an added old school kick drum.  The same beat is put to good effect on Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," Wonder's version being superior to Foxy Brown's, in my opinion (Wonder's airy vocals are perfect for remakes of tunes by female artists.).  Also very nice are his rendition of En Vogue's "Hold On" -- in which he sings a capella for the first half of the song -- PM Dawn's "Die Without You," Klymaxx's "Still Say Yes," and "All This Time."  His only misstep is the straight R&B version of After 7's "One Night."  Wonder's original songs can be quite impressive as well.  "Saddest Day," which utilizes the same rhythm as Beres Hammond's classic "I Wish," is a classic in and of itself.  Though none of the other originals are quite as good, Wonder's 4 collaborations with Buju Banton are all excellent, even if "Commitment" and "Searching" (both from Banton's Voice of Jamaica) are somewhat crossover, R&B-flavored tunes.  This album is like a good big budget summer Hollywood movie: little substance, but fun and immensely enjoyable if you don't think too much.

Da Vibe (Artists Only!, 2000)

Wayne Wonder returns with perhaps his best studio album to date.  It's fast, fun, and remains true to the dancehall stylee.  The first track, "Keep Them Coming" -- found also on Reggae Gold 2000 --  rides the hip-hop-styled rhythm from Bounty Killer's "Look," which made me a little wary that Da Vibe might be filled with attempts to cross over into the mainstream.  However, I was pleased to find a load of the kind of pure, up-tempo party dancehall vibes that made him famous.  The hit "Searching Dem Searching" is typical, although I personally prefer "Let Your Conscience Set You Free," the soulful "Last Night," "The Best," and the uncharacteristically quiet, evocative, piano-driven "Snitches & Spies."  While there's not a whole lot that is absolutely classic, Da Vibe is amazingly solid throughout.  It's a real album album in which fans won't be disappointed.

Schizophrenic (Artists Only!, 2001)

 "Schizophrenic" is how you might describe Wayne Wonder's latest effort.  On one hand, he sticks with his patented old school-flavored dancehall roots (as on "Easily Change," "Tragedy," and "Mr. Man"), but on the other hand, he branches out into hip-hop and hard-edged R&B more than he has done on any album to date.  While it's not my favorite style, I don't necessarily consider this a bad thing.  In fact, most of the best songs on Schizophrenic have hip-hop overtones -- from "Just Might Squeeze" to "I Like the Way" (not the Hi-Five "Kissing Game" song) to "Makes You Wonder" and especially "Sasha," the most appealing tune, with its old-school hip-hop beat offset by smooth vocals and strings.  What I do consider a bad thing, however, is the quality of the dancehall tracks.  Too many, like "You Don't Know," "Curious," and "Platinum Mall," just throw out a big beat with nothing behind it -- not power, no distinction, no charm.  The hip-hop cuts, in this case at least, tend to have the more catchy hooks and more unique sound, although I can certainly do without the  rapping that pops up every now and then. 

No Holding Back (VP/Atlantic, 2003)

On No Holding Back -- the second album released under the historic VP/Atlantic agreement, after Sean Paul's Dutty Rock -- Wayne Wonder accomplishes what is becoming an increasingly arduous task nowadays: he forges a unique sound.  If you've heard his crossover smash "No Letting Go" (which you undoubtedly have, unless you're living either under a rock or in Pohick, West Virginia -- perhaps both), then you know what I'm talking about: that seamless blend of smooth R&B spiced with a subtle yet dynamic dancehall riddim (in the case of "No Letting Go," the Diwali riddim), topped off perfectly the Wonder's sweet, distinctly nasal vocals.  Fans of this sound should be thrilled to find on Ho Holding Back several outstanding tunes in a similar vein -- highlighted by "Friend Like Me," "Glad You Came My Way," and "My Kinda Lady."  The other tracks range from straight dancehall ("Definitely," "Crazy Feeling," "Nobody But Me") to lovers rock ("The Mood Is Right," "Slowly But Surely," "Perfect Proposal") to R&B/hip-hop ("Close Your Eyes," "Enemies," "Metal & Steel"), but most retain his familiar fun party vibe (as on Sean Paul's album).  Wonder flexes his undeniable talent for crafting infectious, hit-worthy hooks that keep the crowd moving, and his producers provide ample original, energetic beats as support.  A couple of tracks should sound familiar  to his fans: "Bounce Along" is a wicked remake of the song of the same name that he performed with Spragga Benz some 6 years ago (see Greensleeves Sampler 15), while his classic "Saddest Day" is thrown in -- a smart move in my mind, to give dancehall novices a taste of some of Wonder's best and leave them craving more.  The only songs that seem somewhat out of place come late in the album -- "Enemies" and "Metal & Steel" feature hip-hop beats and violent gun lyrics, in stark contrast to the largely happy-go-lucky remainder of the material.  Going from lyrics like "Will you marry me?" on "Perfect Proposal" to "My finger's on the trigger and I'm about to squeeze" on "Enemies," is a bit jarring -- not that these two tunes are bad; actually, they're quite catchy.  I prefer Wayne Wonder as Mr. Nice Guy, though, which he is for 95% of No Holding Back, easily one of his best albums to date and a perfect gateway to draw new fans into the dancehall genre.  It's great to see a veteran performer like him getting this sort of recognition; could Sanchez be next?