Holding on to Life (Silver Kamel, 2005)

Deyansa is a Jamaican singer and musician who's been toiling in the music industry for over a decade, playing with the likes of Gregory Isaacs, Culture, and the Meditations, but lucky for us, his time is now.  His debut Holding on to Life is quite simply one of the best albums of 2005.  It is thoughtful, poised, and expertly performed, reflective of the year of experience of not only Deyansa himself but also his band Riddim Zone, which features Keith Senior and Jonathan Ford, musicians who have played for legendary producers Coxsone Dodd, Lee Perry, and Sonia Pottinger.  Vocally, Deyansa sort of resembles a mix of Everton Blender and Michael Rose, although roots fans will be pleased to hear that the songs here are much more rootsy than the dancehall style that Rose has favored since the '90s.  The lush, live-instrument sound melds beautifully with Deyansa's voice on cultural tunes like the title track and the urgent "Africa Calling" to lovers tracks like the romantic anniversary tune "Give You My Love" and the "Strong Woman" (which delightfully adapts Slim Smith's "My Conversation").  There's an upbeat purity of message and sound that makes Holding on to Life such a joyful listening experience, the best I've heard yet from the Silver Kamel label.  Even though you've probably never heard of Deyansa, take my word that any roots or lovers fan will eat this album up.  It's rare to find an album where every single track scores, but you get just that in Holding on to Life.  Check it out at silverkamel.com or cdbaby.com.