Pressure Points (Easy Star, 2005)

*GUEST REVIEW*
With their newest release Pressure Points, John Brown's Body continues a long-standing tradition of both growing musically and putting out a stellar top to bottom CD. Fans of the well underrated reggae band will no doubt have this one in their CD player, Ipod, etc and press play over and over letting the songs get better with each listen until they are humming "Make It Easy" in their sleep. Most importantly, Pressure Points marks the emergence of lead singer Elliot Martin taking the lead role in the band. While Mr. Martin's solo release Black Kastle and his three songs on JBB's previous record Spirits all around Us introduced fans to his talent as the lead, this latest record is a much bigger stage, and Mr. Martin indeed rises to the occasion on tracks such as "Bread", "Blazing Love," and "Resonate." One would be hard pressed to find a group, either in the reggae genre or others, where each lead singer brings so much to the group and yet has such distinct sounds that they could both easily have their own bands. Yet that is the case with John Brown's Body and the great Kevin Kinsella and Elliot Martin. I think back to, interestingly enough, the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir trading songs and styles so many years ago. Indeed, if there is a drawback to the new direction of JBB it is that Mr. Kinsella contributes only four songs to the new record. They are great songs, though, with "Heart and Soul" and "Full Control" reminding listeners why they fell in love with this Upstate New York reggae group in the first place. And just as with Spirits All Around Us, where many listeners after enjoying now classics like "33 RPM", "Original Man" and "Ambrosia" thirsted for more Elliot Martin tunes, I'm sure long time fans look forward to new music from Kevin Kinsella (another solo album perhaps). Leave it to JBB to enrich our lives with a solid new album while at the same time leaving us hungry for more. Either way, I congratulate the band on wonderful album, one I will be listening to for years to come, and I wish them maximum respect and success.

- Jack Brown