Burning Spear - 'Jah is Real'

Jah is Real, Burning Spear's latest release, is a strong, positive roots reggae CD, trumpeting Burning Spear's classic messages of peace, love, and brotherhood. Though Burning Spear doesn't quite possess the lyrical genius of some of his fellow reggae legends, and sometimes ventures into pretty hokey territory, all is forgiven when those horns start blowing.

Though I've been disappointed in some of Burning Spear's recent releases, I found Jah is Real to be a great return to that classic Burning Spear sound - solid rhythm, sweet vocals, and rip-roaring horns. It's solid, summery reggae, drenched in positive vibes. It's nothing particularly new or revolutionary, but that's sort of the point of roots reggae... there's a lot to be said for simplicity, and it's nice to be reminded of that fact.

The lyrics on Jah is Real, all written by Winston "Burning Spear" Rodney himself, are decidedly peace-and-lovey, and basically feel-good all around. There's a lot to be said for straight-ahead positivity, but I must say that for all Mr. Rodney offers in melody and arrangement, he really doesn't have a knack for twists of phrase or particularly advanced poetic technique. He pretty much says what he wants to say, which is admirable, but unfortunately lands him in lyrically awkward territory sometimes. For example, in "Run for Your Life," an attempt at guidance for young musicians ends up in muddy verbal waters, with lines like, "Yes record store pretty soon everyone will own/And everyone will be selling their own internet." The ungainliness can be charming, but it can also be grating.

Those stumbly lyrics, though, are totally forgotten once those Burning Spear Horns start a-wailin'. It's a legendary horn section (in fact, many jambands have appeared "with the Burning Spear Horns" - but no Burning Spear - for special occasions). There's a high taste level when it comes to both the arrangement and the performance of those horns - sometimes they're used subtly, adding texture to the song, and sometimes they just wail. I particularly liked them on "You Were Wrong" and "No Compromise" on this record.

There's also some really clever use of a gospel choir on Jah is Real. They add both harmony vocals and the occasional contextual wail. The smooth female voices make a nice foil for the honking horns.

Hey, it's nothing really new, but it's a return to the roots that's nothing short of pleasant. In this day and age, simplicity is revolutionary, so on that count, Jah is Real is a definite winner.

'Jah is Real' was released on Burning Records in September of 2008