Pop Music : Wheeler Sings Some Show-Stealers

Caron Wheeler, former lead singer of the British pop-soul outfit Soul II Soul, starred in a Soul-II-Soul-style show at the Strand on Friday--a mini-revue featuring singers, rappers and dancers. She was a powerful singer at times, boasting an admirable range and shimmering vibrato.

Like Soul II Soul’s music, Wheeler’s is a soul-based smorgasbord--unpredictably meshing elements of R&B;, jazz, pop, reggae and hip-hop. Her Soul II Soul hits “Keep on Movin”’ and “Back to Life” were show-stealers with their hypnotic rhythms, overshadowing the material from her solo album “UK Blak,” which spotlights injustices against young British blacks. Wheeler was understandably passionate when singing about the plight of her people. Some of those songs, though, were preachy and uninvolving.

After a chaotic sound mix wrecked the first few songs, her set settled into pleasant groove--lively and entertaining for the most part. Sometimes, though, the show seemed too cluttered. Too often the dancers, backup singers, rappers and even some soloing musicians were extraneous. On most songs, a small, unobtrusive combo to accompany Wheeler would have been enough.