Shining Time (VP, 2005)

Marcia Griffiths is one of the most enduring figures in reggae and is sill one of the greatest pure singers (male or female) in the genre.  If Shining Time is any indication, her voice may even be getting better with age.  For her fans, her studio albums can be frustratingly few and far between (one every 3 to 5 years), which puts added pressure on any album she does release to produce the goods.  Does this one provide said goods?  Well, it's no classic, but it's a steady joy that's worthy of her revered name.  The first half in particular "shines", with Griffiths's characteristic airy lovers vibe featured on tracks like "Bring Back to Love", "Live Life to the Fullest", "This Time Around", and the nostalgic "Back in the Days", which harkens back to vintage musical memories in much the way that Beres Hammond's recent "Good Old Dancehall Vibes" did.  Speaking of Hammond, Griffiths' here performs a lovely duet cover of his "Focusing Time" that may actually out-perform the original (which can be found on Dancehall Kings III).  A couple of more edgy tunes, the rootsy dancehall number "Jah Daughter" and the love song "My Heartbeat" (which features Griffiths' somewhat disturbing serenade of her "rude bwoy"), round out the best of Shining Time.  Perhaps because of her marvelous singing ability, Griffiths tackles more vocally demanding R&B and gospel ballads on "Human Rights" and the title track, and while these songs aren't bad, they're are a bit too sappy for their own good.  The latter half of the album has more of a dancehall vibe than the dreamy first half -- with DJs Shaggy and Cutty Ranks guesting -- but as we all know, Griffiths is at her best in her lovers stylee, so generic dancehall cuts like "My Life" and "Lies" can't hold up the tail end of the set.  Her covers of Aretha Franklin's "Until You Come Back to Me", Burt Bacharach's "A House Is Not a Home", and Bob Marley's "Crazy Baldhead" are better, although some listeners might be too familiar with the originals for the remakes to have much of an impact.  All in all, though, you can't complain too much about hearing Marcia Griffiths's lovely voice for 18 full-length tracks.