Tyka: Prince-ess Pop : CHECK LIST: ****Great Balls of Fire***Good Vibrations**Maybe Baby*Running on Empty

**TYKA NELSON. “Royal Blue.” Chrysalis. Prince’s half-sister is a true-blue romantic. Her songs are strictly focused on a “We’ll build a love that’ll last forever” theme. Even one called “My Friend” includes the tender plea, “I want to be your wife till the end of my life.” The fact that most of these tunes are of a similar mid-tempo and are sung in a way that recalls Taja Seville or Wendy & Lisa--but rarely His Purple Highness’ royal bite and bumptiousness--adds up to a record that is pleasant and pretty, but pretty one-dimensional. The tunes that really work are those where the Prince bloodlines and influence flow the strongest: “L.O.V.E.,” “Marc Anthony’s Tune” and “Try My Passion.” There is no toughness, cynicism or slickness to Nelson’s creative mind-set. Her lyrics’ biggest drawback is that they seem to have been written by someone who sees life as one big Harlequin romance.