| No Loafin (Essential Sounds, 1988) I don't know how useful this review will be, since this is an obscure album from an obscure group, but I have it, so I'm gonna tell you about it. Despite its obscurity, this is a quality product -- refreshingly simple (right down to the album cover), old-fashioned '80s synthesizer reggae, sort of like Chalice. In this age of digital dancehall beats, it's nice to hear a noticeably live band for a change. Everything old is new again, I suppose. Playing a mix of roots and lover's rock with a pop edge ("Otis Live[s]" is actually straight old-time R&B, as it's a tribute to Otis Redding), Bare Essentials has the feel of an act that should be popular, particularly outside of Jamaica. Unfortunately, they have been relegated to playing locally in JA, where I was lucky enough to see them perform at an Ocho Rios hotel (the only reason I know they exist) in 1992. Not every cut on No Loafin is killer, but there is no real filler, either. All of the songs are solid, particularly their version of The Osmonds' (!) "Love Me for a Reason," "It's Strange," and the sublime, stunning "Mother Nature" -- classic material, no matter if sung by an unknown band in a hotel or by an international superstar. |
| Track Listing 1. Different Size 2. Mother Nature 3. Love Me for a Reason 4. Come Share My Dreams 5. So Dem Say 6. No Loafin 7. Hold On 8. It's Strange 9. Otis Live(s) 10. Miss Jamaica |
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