Exhibit #1 in not judging a book by its cover: Steve Steppa, formerly known as Sayan. The bright, cheery cover art of this, the first album under his new name should not be misconstrued as some sort of fluffy, lightweight effort. (And no, he doesn't sound like Pauley Shore.) Quite the opposite, in fact. Introducing is a love letter to good old-fashioned dub and reggae, inspired by Studio One, Black Ark, and the like. Steppa remains largely true to the musical techniques of '70s reggae, including a string bass, an old-school Roland keyboard, and the always underutilized melodica. The opening instrumentals immerse you in the throwback sound right off the bat, from the rock steady groove of "Session One" to the airy dub of "Session Two" to the digital fun of "Session Three." His first vocal track, "Riddimstrong," features a punishing dancehall bass line that's refreshingly non-computerized, an indication of the organic sound that he's able to achieve throughout the album. The music is heavy with a capital HEV -- and not just dancehall-skewed tracks like "Riddimstrong," but also thunderous dubs like "Dogchase Dub" and "Following Dub" and haunting roots like "Wise Up" and "By the Sword"; in fact, they might even be too heavy for Steppa's smooth vocals, which are more of the lovers rock variety (It's only really evident on "Lucid Dubbing," on which he talks, Prince Far I-like, but lacks the Prince Far I vocal magnitude...but really, who does have that sort of magnitude?). He puts those easygoing vocals to good use on the luscious lovers tracks "Lovers Destiny" and "If Looks Could Kill", the first songs on the album that echo his previous incarnation as Sayan (indeed, the latter is from 2002). "If Looks Could Kill" and "Cellphone Lover" return to the fun electro-'80s for inspiration, while one of the best tunes, "Another Morning," ironically sounds the most modern, its crashing drum and chugging organ crafting a fresh nu-roots vibe. As with his previous album, Steve Steppa produced and played all instruments on most of the tracks here, and the results are wonderful, cementing him as not only a true devotee to reggae but also a genuine talent. See myspace.com/stevesteppa.