Together As One (Interscope, 2006)

Jewish reggae came into the limelight last year when Matisyahu broke into the mainstream, but Elan had already been performing for years by that time -- and not exactly in obscure gigs, either.  During the late '90s, he toured as the lead singer of The Wailers -- thanks to his uncanny Marley-esque vocals.  He left the band and recorded a solo album, All Roads, in 2002, but it went unreleased.  Hooking up with Tony Kanal of No Doubt, though, he got Interscope Records to release this "debut" album, which Kanal produced alongside reggae bigwigs like Sly & Robbie, Steven "Lenky" Marsden, Philip "Fatis" Burrell, and Tony "CD" Kelly.  Save for the mention of Jerusalem (or "Yerushalayim") on the opening track, there's little overtly Jewish about Together As One.  Elan could be Rastafarian, Christian, Buddhist, or Muslim, and the messages would be the same: love songs, party jams, and reggae-standard calls for peace, justice, and unity.  His vocals are engaging, but when he lays the Marley on a bit too thick -- as on the Mishka-like title track -- it starts to ring like a hollow impersonation.  Even more hollow, though, are his stabs at dancehall, which, in light of Elan being on a major label and in the wake of Matisyahu's success, seem like obvious attempts to cross over.  Even guest spots by legitimate dancehall stars Assassin and Cutty Ranks can't balance out  fluffy appearances by Tami Cynn and Gwen Stefani (What, no Paris Hilton?) or the abysmal pop confection "Feel My Pressure."  It's a shame that these tunes drag down an otherwise excellent album.  The easygoing lovers rock and light roots tunes are where Elan shines, from the heartfelt "Nothing Is Worth Losing You" to the throwback sound of "My Kingston Girl" to the rousing "I Wanna Yell," which brings with it a Gentleman-like vibe, the soulful "You Don't Come Around No More," and perhaps the best tune on Together As One, "Do Right By You," which is one of the jams of the year.  Without the forced, overly hip dancehall pretense, maybe the entire album could've been one of the year's best as well.