No Guns to Town (Insight, 2005)

It seems like most reggae singers nowadays invariably end up sounding like one of a select few artists: some sound like Bob Marley, others like Garnett Silk, a few like Beres Hammond, some like Sanchez, and finally there are the Lucianos of the world.  Natty King falls squarely in the latter camp, with perhaps a bit of Peter Tosh.  Of course, sounding like another artist isn't necessarily a bad thing; Bushman's similarity to Luciano certainly hasn't hindered his success.  Indeed, Natty King has been one of the hottest commodities over the past year and is a newcomer who seems destined for great things.  On No Guns to Town, he shows glimpses of this greatness, although the album has a bit too much filler to be a classic.  Still, with 19 tracks, there's plenty of material here worth mining.  Two of Natty King's biggest hits, "Mister Greedy" and the wonderful title track (which you may have heard on Reggae Hits 33 and Reggae Gold 2004, respectively) are included, and there are seveal more that are just as good -- or better, even.  "The Way It Is" and the environmentally themed (and aptly titled) "Environmentalist" in particular shine with the type of soulful vocals and self-assured righteousness that has made Luciano so popular.  "Survivor" and "High High" have similar appeal, with their crisp roots sound, while the love song "Please Stay" slips in a nice dancehall vibe.  As with Luciano, Natty King's sound of choice is modern roots, with touches of lovers rock and dancehall, and for about half of No Guns to Town, it works superbly.  The other half is fine, but compared to cuts like "Environmentalist," "The Way It Is," "No Guns to Town," "High High," and "Survivor," tunes like "When the Money Done" and "Perfect Harmony" pale in comparison.  Still, there's more than enough for roots fans to uncover here.