Click pic to buy!

Inna Red I Hour (I Grade, 2003)

I Grade Records is steadily becoming the modern, scaled-down version of Studio One in the '60s/'70s or Island Records in the '70s and early '80s.  That is, it’s establishing itself as a stamp of quality, as a dependable source for quality reggae in a market increasingly flooded by half-hearted fly-by-night labels and mega-labels whose next by-the-numbers release sounds just like their last.  You hardly even have to listen to an I Grade production to know that you’re in good hands.  Chances are you’ll be treated to powerful, largely live-instrument retro roots rhythms that, as grounded as they are in the vintage reggae sound, nonetheless resist stagnancy with a bold infusion of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, dancehall, and otherwordly experimentation.  Singer/DJ/sing-jay Abja's debut Inna Red I Hour is surely no exception.  You might remember him from his outstanding "Crucial Confessions" on I Grade’s Weep Not compilation in 2002; if not, you can also find it on Inna Red I Hour.  As would be expected from an I Grade release, Abja hails from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, the label’s home base (Indeed, if I Grade is the new Studio One, then St. Croix, musically, is certainly the new Jamaica.), and as would be expected, he brings with him a righteous roots sensibility to match the rich roots rhythms that seem to seep out of the Virgin Islands soil and into the talented musicians here (the new Roots Radics?).  Abja's style continues the modern trend of vibrant sing-jays like Buju Banton, Turbulence, and Sizzla who both sing and chat in a conscious, roots-inclined setting (as opposed to sing-jays of the late '70s and '80s, who favored dancehall), and I must say that although this is his first album, his vocal and songwriting skills compare favorably to those veterans.  “Crucial Confessions,” an emotional, full-blooded roots jam, is fairly typical of the album in both sound and quality, although there are a few tracks that incorporate a broader sound, such as the jazzy edge of "Rise Up," the laid-back hip-hop slant of "Lion Walk," and the folksy acoustic guitar ballad "Still Have Love."  However, reggae purists should have no fear; there’s plenty of potent, pure roots to chew on, from the ganja anthem "Pass the Kahn" to the funky "Love Potion" to the more subdued "Play On" and "Rebel I Lion."  The cream of this crop for me, though, are three-fold: 1) the explosive classic "War," whose chanting chorus begs to be screamed aloud:

                    War for di money, war for di gold / War for di people and their mind control./ War for di jewels, war for di oil / War for di land they done stole;

2) the more subtle, sublime "I Love Jah," which is backed by a serene melodica and Nyabinghi drum rhythm; and 3) "Chances," which paints an evocative portrait of life on the brink in this crazy world:

                    Mama, don't you cry / Dry the tears from your weeping eyes.
                    Chances are we'll make it through the night / And (there’s) a chance that we'll be just fine.
                    No one’s promise tomorrow's plane / Although we’ve planned for another day,
                    But for today let's give thanks and praise / And let Creator lead the way.

All in all, Inna Red I Hour is a powerhouse debut that spells a great future for Abja and that cements St. Croix as the hotbed for first-rate modern roots reggae.  

*Alternate Review*