There's absolutely nothing wrong with this album; Irie Feeling is a lovely set, imbued with a rich and warm ambience and with the trio accompanied by the Roots Radics and a host of veteran Jamaican

sessionmen. And yet, since the group attained perfection years ago, everything else... [+] Expand

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this album; Irie Feeling is a lovely set, imbued with a rich and warm ambience and with the trio accompanied by the Roots Radics and a host of veteran Jamaican

sessionmen. And yet, since the group attained perfection years ago, everything else inevitably pales in comparison, no matter how good it is. And this album is very good indeed; even a re-cut of their classic "You Don't Need Me" sounds fabulous, although not quite as fabulous as the original. That's just one of a clutch of old numbers the Melodians lovingly resurrect within. There are also fine versions of "Passion Love," "Warning," and "Down Here in Babylon," the latter a superb solo single Brenton Dowe originally cut for Lee Perry in 1975. Nor have the trio's vocals suffered an iota from the passage of time; Dowe is still as cool and crisp as a cucumber, Tony Brevett is incredibly warm and soulful, while Trevor McNaughton's harmonies as exquisite as ever. So why does the album seem just a bit flat? Perhaps the Radics were the wrong choice for a backing band. Style Scott's militant beats certainly give the arrangements a contemporary feel, but the group's mellifluous style immediately recalls the trio's rocksteady peaks, but without the luxurious styling of the day. Dowe's crisp and clean production, quite reminiscent of their one-time producer, Sonia Pottinger, draws even closer

parallels, but simultaneously emphasizes the Radics' sparser sound. Thus, the Melodians are left betwixt and between, with the arrangements too close to their old sound to avoid comparisons, but minus rocksteady's lush charms. They might have done better to break completely with the past and gone with more radical arrangements. What listeners are left with is a beautiful album that is merely reminiscent of their past glories and inadvertently prods them to play their old records instead. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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