Life (Fire House Productions, 2007)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Pleasant but unexceptional reggae by a band from the island of Anguilla in the West Indies, Ijahlar's Life is mostly lifeless. There'snothing wrong with the songs, singing, and caliber of the playing; it's the sound that throws things off. Tthe bass lines in particular are nearly inaudible, and the drums frequently lack their rightful amount of wallop, so the songs' strengths (effectively understated lead vocals, angelic female harmonies, bright keyboard touches, etc.) don't have much of a foundation. Particularly irritating are a couple of tracks where the bass drum has too much punch and the bass guitar none at all, resulting in a feel that seems totally inside out (and not in the good way that reggae's supposed to be). What makes it all a real head-scratcher is the fact that the disc was mixed by Hopeton "Scientist" Brown, usually one of the best in the business. This band can play and sing and surely has what it takes to make a good reggae album. But that's not what this Life is all about.

-Tom Orr