*** Finley Quaye

MAVERICK A STRIKE

(550 Music)

Singer Finley Quaye isn't just Tricky's uncle -- he's the melancholy trip-hop star's alter ego. Whereas Tricky is all doom and gloom, the 23-old Quaye sounds bright and cheerful on this full-length debut. Quaye, who is part Ghanaian and part Scottish, sings about the life-affirming beauty of clear skies ("Sunday Shining") and the passion of true love ("It's Great When We're Together") with heartfelt sincerity. His near-falsetto voice and slightly affected patois suits both the slow R&B groove of "Even After All" and the skittish dub reggae beats of the Lee "Scratch" Perry-influenced "Ride On and Turn the People On." Quaye didn't win a Brit Music Award this year for nothing -- his soulful voice recalls the likes of Al Green, Bob Marley, and Sam Cooke, and his material is nearly as timeless.

-- Jeff Niesel