The group Seeed is one of the staples on the ever-strengthening German reggae scene, their big international exposure coming in 2002 when they unleashed the wicked Doctor's Darling riddim (in Hollywood-speak, a "re-imagining" of Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse") on their Anthony B collaboration "Water Pumpee" (Tanya Stephens also scored the massive hit "It's a Pity" with the same music). Their debut, New Dubby Conquerors, came out a year before that, and it's a true roller coaster affair. It's hard to reconcile the divergent sounds on this album, which range from rich roots reggae that hearken back to the best years of Steel Pulse and UB40 ("Fire the Hidden," "Walk Upright") to cheesy pop reggae that hearkens back to the worst years of Steel Pulse and UB40 ("Riddim No. 1," "Papa Noah"). Beyond the quality of the material, the sound varies wildly between relaxed, traditional roots and pulsating Ward 21-like digital dancehall tinged with hip-hop ("Dancehall Caballeros," "Riddim No. 1," "Dickies B."). It sounds like two albums by two groups thrown together into one. Lack of cohesion aside, though, there are several scorchers of note. "Walk Upright" is a rolling, hypnotic roots jam with sweet, layered vocals, "Sensimilla" is a slinky, sexy ode to ganja, and "Fire the Hidden" scores with vibrant roots propelled by, of all things, a didjeridoo. "Psychedelic Kingdom" may be the jewel of the album, however: a bouncing slice of funky roots with a touch of old school dancehall that alone raises hopes for any future Seeed offerings. Still, several tracks show alarming lack of originality by borrowing liberally from some of the most recognizable tunes in reggae history. "We Seeed," for instance, usurps the music from Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves" (complete with the falsetto "oh yeahs"), "Top of the City" swipes the one-drop beat from Bob Marley's "Sun Is Shining," there's a hidden track after the title cut that borrows freely from Willi Williams' "Armagideon Time," and to top it off, they throw in a competent yet unnecessary remake of The Paragons' "The Tide Is High." New Dubby Conquerors certainly isn't a bad set, but given the group's following, I was hoping for more. Perhaps their subsequent albums won't disappoint.