Babylon Walls (Ariwa, 1992)

I was pleasantly surprised by this effort from veteran roots singer Earl Sixteen.  If this album didn't have the crisp, clean (almost sterile) beats of Mad Professor, I'd say it was recorded in the late '70s or early '80s.  The melodies and lyrics have that vintage sound, while the deep, rolling bass lines give him a near-Burning Spear quality at times (as on "Listen Rasta"), though avoiding Spear's tendency to become a bit too heavy.  The catchy roots harmony of "Children Rise," on the other hand, is a bit more reminiscent of The Abyssinians.  Either way, nothing to sneeze at.  With the exception of the two love songs -- "A Love That I Can Feel" (not the oft-versioned John Holt tune) and a straight R&B cover of Curtis Mayfield's "A Woman Got Soul" (What Curtis Mayfield song hasn't been covered by a reggae artist?) -- every track on Babylon Walls is a fresh slice of roots reggae.  Particularly strong are "Marcus" and "Miss Tulley," the latter of which is one of my favorite roots cuts of the '90s.