*GUEST REVIEW*
Ras Jammie has got one low, deep voice. The Tucson, Arizona-based dread comes on like Prince Far I without so much gravel, and the authority he conveys is one reason Thin Line is a disc that casts a considerable spell. Long, dubby riddims is another; though there are only ten songs, the total playing time is 54 minutes and many tracks stretch out to a point of permeation where you'd swear you've just had a lungful of ganja even if there's none within reach. But back to Jammie's voice. Despite the fact that he commands attention by making Peter Tosh sound like Desmond Dekker, Jammie isn't exactly a golden-voiced singer. Even so, he gets by perfectly well by intoning around the low, low register in a measured, mildly dramatic manner that makes the words stick. He utilizes some calypso-like phrasing on "Daddy Won't Mind," infuses "Anxiety Attack" with an appropriately fearful tone, scats with joyful deejay gruffness through "Froggy" and at times surrounds his lead singing with spectral backing vocals that provide eerie, pleasantly murky contrast. Plus it's nice to hear reggae that's so sonically uncompromising; unlike some popish stuff that softens the bottom end, the bass here is often mercilessly heavy, holding the unhurried tempos as firmly as the vocals. An unassuming work full of quirky, compelling singing and a steadfast reggae foundation, Thin Line is thick with pleasure. See rovrecords.com and cdbaby.com

- Tom Orr