*GUEST REVIEW*
It's been a long time since this band made an album. So long, in fact, that they've changed both their name and their base of operations in the interim. Mongoose Band front man Maimon Chocron is of Moroccan Jewish heritage, was born in Paris and lived in Montreal when he first heard Bob Marley and the Wailers' Kaya album. To his ears, the reggae beat had the same pulse as the Moroccan trance music he'd grown up with.
Already a budding rock musician, he switched his focus to reggae and formed the band Geoulah (the Hebrew word for redemption). The group's 1995 debut Soul Deliverance was a sprightly combination of reggae
grooves, pop and soul shadings, and a clear-eyed spirituality that uplifted effortlessly. After relocating from Montreal to Los Angeles, the band was re-christened Mongoose and sharpened their chops via extensive live performing (having seen them several times, I can attest to their onstage charisma). In 1999, former Steel Pulse bassist Ronnie "Stepper" McQueen joined their ranks. Long story short, Maimon decided it was time to record and release a new full length disc. And even after a dozen years, it's been well worth the wait. Sharp and engaging, Third Ear mixes modern roots, lovers rock, R&B touches, international sensibilities, and ongoing good vibes. "Come to Pray" kicks things off with a we-shall-overcome freshness, the sensuality of the riddim is celebrated on "She's Swayin,'" "Uman," and "Police Terror" emerge as hard-hitting, Alpha Blondy-like chargers energized by the lightly grainy urgency of Maimon's voice and an update of the first album's "Slumber City" makes for a nice acoustic interlude prior to the snappy final track "Soul People." Though undeniably catchy, the hip-hoppy "Shakin' the Tree" (not the Youssou N'Dour/Peter Gabriel song) sounds out of place, but that's okay. There's plenty here to please adventurous reggae devotees. Whether firing off some Hebrew chanting, poetically praising the beauty of a loved one or conveying celebratory joy, Maimon is deep in the spirit and you're right there with him.

- Tom Orr