Soon Come (Slo Down, 2004?)

Denmark: land of NFL kicker Morten Andersen, fruit-filled pastries, and…reggae?  Slo Down is a free-spirited reggae group that has had the Danes skanking around their homeland for over two decades, but it took until now for them to release their first album, the ironically titled Soon Come.  The brainchild of lead singer Ole Brockman, Slo Down has a fun sound that isn't heard too much nowadays (symptomatic of their having been in existence since the early '80s) -- ranging between the bubbly pop of Chalice or UB40 to the light roots of Steel Pulse or Black Uhuru.  The former style dominates the first half of Soon Come and risks turning off some fans of a harder-edged sound, but these listeners should stick around for the second half, which has a more gritty feel.  While I found the second half to be stronger, the first has noteworthy tunes like "Slow Dancing" and the lovers jam "Close to You."  Starting with "I Love Ya," the mood darkens somewhat, even though it's a lovers track.  Other lovers tunes "Slow Down" and "Loneley Teardrops," plus rootsy cuts like "Eyes Iron," "One Destiny," and "Talk" continue the more edgy sound to nice effect.  Don't let the Denmark thing scare you; Soon Come is solid stuff, a sure party-starter.