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.
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Ras Jammie returns with Thin Line (RoV), an independent release with a sound all its own. Recording at his own Rouse Your Spirits studio in Tucson, AZ, Ras Jammie draws on his Jamaican roots in creating his own brand of homegrown American reggae. Backed by the Man Alive Band, which combines a fat drum sound with soaring keys, skank guitar chops, crisp synth horn lines and rumbling bass, his lyrics cover a wide range of topics from “Sampson and Delilah” and “Runaway Slave” (on which he deftly blends an early American spiritual style with reggae) to “Froggy,” “Anxiety Attack” and “Sometimey People.” There’s even a little lecture on love (“Daddy Won’t Mind”) thrown in for good measure. Ras Jammie has a deep, resonant voice that seems to gain confidence with each new release, a sure sign of an artist who’s headed in the right direction.
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This cd is wicked. It has a crucial sound like I haven't heard long time. Black Day and Sometimey People I keep playing over and over. Deadly, crucial.
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