Gravity

The four years that have passed since Christafari's last album, Word Sound & Power, have served the band very well. On Gravity the group sounds invigorated, refreshed and bursting with energy. In fact, if this album has a serious weakness it lies in its length and diversity, which sometimes get to be just a bit tiring. But if you take away the waste-of-time between-song "intro" tracks, the disposable ska ditty "Broken Down Communication," and the unremarkable "Kingdoms in Conflict," what you end up with is well over an hour's worth of exquisite modern roots reggae and dancehall, and undoubtedly Christafari's best album yet. Among Gravity's finest tracks are "Lion of Zion," a feverish jungle workout with gorgeous vocal harmonies and live horns, the aggressive dancehall testifying of the title track, and a powerful setting of the 16th verse of the epistle to the Colossians, which features a Jah Wobble-ish bassline and Middle Eastern tonalities. Bandleader Mark Mohr's born-again Christian philosophizing may be a bit off-putting to some listeners, but it is certainly no more pushy than the Rastafarian variety that has long been a hallmark of Jamaican roots reggae (and at least he doesn't call for unbelievers to be burned or beaten). This is one of the most exciting reggae releases of the year.