“Whatever happened to feel good music?” So asks The Aggrolites on ‘Feelin’ Alright’, a barbed and cynical comment on mass-marketed music that somehow manages to sound incredibly positive. Well, if you’ve only got three words to describe the Los Angeles outfit then that’s a damn fine place to start: feel good music.
‘IV’ (the self-explanatorily titled fourth album) is chock full of feel good vibes riding high on a trademark dirty reggae crest. Cool. Groovy. Rich. Lush. It’s one helluva sweet venture straight outta Southern California by way of Jamaica, the Deep South and Detroit City. Check out the cooler-than-cool upbeat reggae of ‘Firecracker’, the gospel inklings of ‘Brother Jacob’ and the romantic soul of ‘It’s Gonna Be Okay’. To paraphrase the bands own line, this is anything but “an imitation of music that sells”. It’s unique and extremely well versed in its history and influences.
Whereas 2007’s album ‘Reggae Hit L.A.’ didn’t quite live up to the elevated expectations of the bands first two albums, this latest offering just about stands toe-to-toe with anything that has been put out before. ‘IV’ is varied to the core, smudging chilled-out grooves (‘Lick It Up’, ‘Precious and Few’), rowdy dancefloor onslaughts (‘Wild Time’, ‘Keep Moving On’), instrumental experimentations (‘Musically On Top’, ‘Soul Gathering’) and a trio of tunes that can best be described as boss (the aforementioned ‘Feelin’ Alright’, ‘Reggae Summertime’, ‘Gotta Find Someone Better’). Variety really is the key here. Clocking in at a massive 75 minutes the last thing needed is a mire of repetition. Said shortcoming successfully averted.
Fundamental to the album is the lusciously layered musicianship. Having played backup band to reggae heavyweights Derrick Morgan and Prince Buster, whilst more recently recording with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong on his solo album ‘A Poet’s Life’, The Aggrolites‘ résumé goes a long way to illustrating the talent on show here. Every bit a ‘bands band’, this mob knows how to do things properly. The organs drive everything. The bass leaves some canyon sized grooves. The guitars switch tempo at the drop of a pork-pie hat and the additional percussion and brass sections add meat to an already plump and juicy serving.
Wrapped-up in a neat little box, ‘IV’ marks itself out as a return to form that demonstrates traditional reggae can be given a 2009 spin and prove to be vital, inimitable and just so damn enjoyable. If your body doesn’t want to boogie along to this release you might want to check to see if you’re laid up in intensive care. But most of all, this is indisputable evidence that as the band says, “Aggrolites are never a dime a dozen”.
Alex