O-Dub Meets Ras Jammie In A Lion's Den (RoV/Rouse Your Spirits, 2006)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Arizona-based Ras Jammie gets his CD Hungry Lion dubbed up in classic style here, with slow and steady bass and drums paving the way for spooky drop-ins of vocals, keys, guitar, and percussion. A disclaimer on the back cover warns of brain damage that may result from repeated listening, and while you need not fear for your cranial health, expect to have a deep mind recess or two permeated. The King Tubby-ish feel is laced with echoing sonic bursts that hang in the air and threaten to stop time as the riddims urge things onward. A slightly sinister edge is tempered by sometimes whimsical snatches cloaked in chirping, buzzing sounds that creep like fog out of hidden places. It's dub as it ought to be, with real instruments and equal parts method and madness. One problem: an unusually high degree of sameness, even for a dub album. A faster tempo or two would have made these good dubs even better and mixer/drummer Owen "O-Dub" Rose needs to obtain some other percussion instruments besides those banal bongos that pop up with annoying regularity. This disc would make a solid and satisfying addition to any dub lover's collection for sure, but it does have its drawbacks.

- Tom Orr