Jahmings Maccow & E-Rif - New Way

Liquid Cyber Records
By: Ben Ohmart

Though I've tried to label this recording as Reggae, once you are past the very Marley-esque 'Scamper Dread' which opens your 12 song journey, the music goes off in so many other directions, it's hard to keep up with it. The one thing you can Really say about this New Way is that it's looking island-grown, and seems to be sweetly self-produced. On some tracks, it's like sitting in with someone very talented at his home. Sometimes he gets the guitar player in, as the quite fluid 'New Way - part II' illustrates for a good 2 minutes. Sometimes Jammings brings in his back-up girls to help 'Leave This Town'.

He relies heavily on keyboards, but the strength of the Caribbean voice and the world-flavored rock put this CD into a party-political arena seldom heard on mainstream radio in the States.

There are some tracks that could use cleaning up, unless this is their charm. The highly synth-dominated 'Doomsday' is like 2 different songs in one - acoustic, and not. There is a little drum machine in the left speaker that, early on, sounds like static of some sort. If only it were on an acoustic piano to give realism to the earnest voices, it would be a much better tune in my humble opinion.

Same for 'Pay the Price', which has a great horn, sound, but mixing with the keys brings it down a notch. A pity since Maccow is a rather strong singer/arranger/composer. But this reviewer may be just oversensitive to hybrids. 'I pay the price - in parasites places / What a disgrace amongst the human race / Many are called but - few are chosen / Haven't you heard lord - Jah had risen'.

But looking past instrumentation into spirit and domino tumbling style, the New Way is a great release from the pressures of the day. You may not forget them - not with the color photos in CD booklet showing bombs, world leaders, the vast poor, the slashing of the ecology - but you will find yourself a little spiritually superior when you come away from the 51 minute disc. If the best entertainments make you think and act as well as smile, then put Maccow and his E-Rif among the best. You will find a tropical drink in your hand and a plethora of sunshine in your mirror before you're halfway thru the 1st cut.