As with the first two tracks, Wyclef relies heavily on the help of friends, with a different guest featured on every track but one. A duet with Mary J. Blige on "What About the Baby" proves to be a worthy sequel to their previous effort on Wyclef staple "911," which was nominated for a Grammy in 2001. Shakira repays the favor by providing the soaring hook on "King & Queen," but seems out of place within Wyclef's hipped out vocal flow. Also, Norah Jones brings her soothing grace on the soulful "Any Other Day," which sheds light on Wyclef's harder years and brings hope for the future.
A surprising, but warmly familiar, voice is featured on "Fast Car." Paul Simon's presence on this track even makes Serj Tankian's guest spot on "Riot" seem somewhat normal. To his credit, the aging songwriter, who at 66 is easily old enough to know what the "Sound of Silence" actually entails, clearly exerts his influence as "Fast Car" plays out like one of Simon and Garfunkel's spirited classics, with a welcomed touch of hip-hop.
With smooth edges, Carnival II is a welcomed return to form for Wyclef. His ability to seamlessly mash up multiple genres within a single track and spit it out as something highly listenable is his greatest skill. Ten years after the album that started it all, Carnival II is proof that Wyclef is finally ready to pay his respects to the original equation that made Carnival his defining work. B+
2008 Woodie Awards
