New Name (New Roots, 2008)

Not to be confused with the '90s female lovers rock singer Kofi, this Kofi (Karl "Kofi" James) is a male roots singer from Dominica who now makes his home in Chicago. Although this is his debut solo album, Kofi is a veteran artist, having recorded 10 albums as part of the Chicago group Roots, Stem, & Branches (RSB Band). While that band performed a mix of reggae, soca, zouk, and Dominican music, New Name is strictly a reggae affair -- primarily roots with flourishes of dancehall, ska, and lovers rock. Kofi's experience comes through in his assured delivery and vintage sound. Apart from the occasional dancehall sidebar, New Name sounds like a late '70s/early '80s album, before the digital invasion, with classic melodies that hearken back even further to the '60s and early '70s. The swaying lovers tune "Well Well" and the buoyant ska of "Time Is Now" in particular sound like newly unearthed classics from the vaults of Studio One or Treasure Isle. Vintage reggae fans should be further intrigued by the uncanny resemblance of Kofi's vocals to Peter Tosh. His burly voice is thus well-suited to hard-hitting roots jams like "Check Seh," "Hold a Vibes," "None of Dem," and "Rocky Road," but he's also surprisingly adept at softer love songs like "Well Well" and "Love Power." Even more surprising, he ably switches to DJ mode for the fun dancehall track "the Spot," a tune propelled by the invigorating guest vocal of Taketha "Tye" Cole, whose sound is as uncannily reminiscent of Lauryn Hill as Kofi's is of Peter Tosh. New Name is a treat for reggae fans from start to finish -- both for those who want to close their eyes and imagine that it's a newfound Tosh album and for those who relish finding underground talent. Listen to samples at www.kofij.com.