When the reality TV music show, Tusker Project Fame (TPF) first aired in 2007, it was received with mixed reactions. The auditions were (and continue to be) hilarious, the contestants engaging and the original presenter pairing of Gaetano and Sheila was not too bad. However, it is only five years later that the program has finally produced any album of note.

“The Top 10 Album” features singles by TPF 5 winner Ruth Matete and her fellow contestants, Eunice Guttu, Doreen Nyawira, Steve Homes, Samantha, Joe Irankunda, Jackson Kalimba, Allan Roy Sekiranda, Sharon and Nancy Chan. “We knew that we needed to do things differently in order to demonstrate how rooted and vested we are in the region,” reads a statement by TPF on the album sleeve. Produced by top industry names including R Kay, Tim Rimbui and Chris Adwar, the 10-track album has stand out personal favorites.

For instance, the radio friendly “This Kind of Love” by Eunice and Sharon’s “Nzi Ndi Nawe” (both produced by Eric Musyoka) are catchy with heavy drum and electro beats. Equally, Nancy’s “Welede” in her native Sudanese dialect is worth a listen. The song writing may be a little wanting in some instances, and the tracks cover many obvious themes such as love and relationships, friendship and success, with a quirky standout being Doreen’s “Muciari” -- a Kikuyu song about thanksgiving with her family. Rounding off the TPF 5 contestants is the season’s winner, Ruth Matete. Her single, “Ndoto Langu” is a cleverly written love ballad that takes a while to grow on you.

Bonus track “Sheka Sheka” by TPF 4 winner Davis ends the album on a foot-stamping note. It is obvious that a lot of effort was put into the album. And, this is clearly a memento for the show’s fans, especially those of this past season. That said, it suffers from the curse of compilation albums—its eclectic sounds and influences prevent it from having a central voice or vibe. Of course this can be easily remedied when all the talented artists release their own albums.