Jah Grid (I Grade, 2006)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Whenever someone asks me if there is any good reggae coming out right now, my reply always has something to do with Midnite. To prove my point, I might not choose a song from this album, though. Midnite's music has been getting progressively less accessible and experimental. And though this album does not do anything as out there as Let Live, Assini, or Geoman, I still find this album to be rather inaccessible. In terms of aesthetics (production and recording quality), Jah Grid is the best; all the instruments are performed live (which is a change from their more recent releases), and the I Grade production team is getting more talented. The album opens with "Enter," a song about Rasta living with a bass that just p.o.u.n.d.s out of this world. Vaughn Benjamin chants at light speed, with the band laying back there behind him. The next song, "In Tent," is about community and society (as are many of their songs). Also here the bass just don't let up either. The band again is smooth behind, adding textures and riddims that groove and make you bounce your head. All of the tracks are straight Midnite, except "Third I," which features Jah Rubal on vox, his style is similar to the chanters and DJs of the 70's. My personal favorites are: "My Joy," "Kin Dread," "Spin Doctor," and the album closer "On," which, though slow and transcendent, never lets go of the groove that the rest of the album lays. In terms of structure and sequencing, this album is also their best.  Midnite has been moving into territory that I can only describe as just deep. In the tradition of greats like Prince Far I, Burning Spear, and other conscious chanters, Benjamin's poetry is getting more evocative and resonant. Newcomers and non-enthusiasts may find his style unimpressive and repetitive, but that is part of what makes his style so powerful and poetic. Critics of Midnite's lack of regard for melody or creativity in tone will find nothing to persuade them here either. On the other hand, those, like myself, who feel Midnite's thing on a pretty kindred level, will only feel more of that feeling as this album makes its way into their lives and the rest of their collection. This is what is so terrifically impressive about Midnite: they consistently make that kind of album that is not that great on the first or casual listen, but with repeated listens and attention, you realize how amazing they are.

- Trammell Scruggs