Roots Tonic (Root Awakening, 1997)

If you name your reggae band Root Awakening and your debut album Roots Tonic, you better come correct with your roots.  And, although you may never have heard of them (despite this album being ranked the #1 independent American reggae release of 1997 by Reggae Report magazine...for what that's worth), Root Awakening does just that.  You may have heard this group perform the unforgettable dub-like "It Shall Be Dread" on the R.A.W. 2000 compilation, and the quality dips little on the other tracks on Roots Tonic.  This California group seems to truly understand the nature of roots reggae; they embrace it wholeheartedly and perform it confidently, not something you always hear from an American band.  The live-instrument roots music is undiluted yet readily accessible, genuine yet catchy and fun.  Along with "It Shall Be Dread," "Take the Time," "Don't Go," "Cover Up," and "Tonight" represent some of the best examples of sustained quality modern roots -- American or otherwise -- that I've heard in the late '90s.  My only real complaint about Roots Tonic is that it is so short; 7 songs and 3 dubs provide far too little "tonic" for what ails me.