One Draw (Napsac, 2002)

Looking at the cover of this EP, it would be difficult to discern what type of music is waiting inside.  After listening to One Draw, though, it seems appropriate as a representation of the mix of cultural styles inherent in this 5-piece band's work.  Packed into these 6 tracks are helpings of roots reggae, hip-hop, rock 'n roll, dub, and ska, all rolled into a hip sound not terribly unlike the little I've heard from the Long Beach Dub Allstars (and they're both from Long Beach! Neat!).  Maybe I'm a bit of a traditionalist, but my favorite parts of this EP are when One Draw sticks to a straightforward reggae style, as on the funky, bass-driven dub "New Direction."  The other cuts use reggae as the primary base, incorporating occasional rock guitars (which often only come in during the bridges of the songs), hip-hop scratches and raps, etc.  It's the raps and/or DJ chats that I think prove most intrusive to me; the vocals just don't have the authenticity to pull off that style.  The singing is effective, though, as displayed on the solid "Put It Down."  If One Draw stuck to its powerful instrumentals and catchy singing tracks, I'd buy into them more, but if you enjoy the rock/hip-hop/reggae blend, this should certainly be something to check out.