Elan: “Together As One”
(Interscope Records)
Even if you detest reggae it’s difficult to wish the worst for Elan – it’s faux-rootsy in ways but not so much that it evokes images of honkies cranking it up solely to cling to memories of Caribbean vay-kays and annoy their punk neighbors. It’s a comforting, lighthearted record whether or not too many of those ubiquitous No Doubters are on board (Gwen Stefani contributes her bee-stung vocalisms to “Allnighter”; Tony Kanal does some producing), and that’s offset anyway by cameos from Assassin and Cutty Ranks. Easiest comparison is Big Mountain’s rasta re-do of “Baby I Love Your Way” a decade or so ago, so fans familiar with that as a touchstone will have a general idea of the contents here. It certainly isn’t straight out of any obscure Marley collection, but as has been demonstrated often, pop sensibilities can work wonders with the genre, particularly for those who don’t get what the fuss is about with rub-a-dubbing and so forth. As beach-drivetime stuff goes, things rarely come better.
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