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Know the Road by Norris Man

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Know the Road by Norris Man

Know the Road by Norris Man

By John Fenwick on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - Comment

Melodic dancehall and more from Norris Man and friends.

Sampler

This new studio album from Norris Man adds further to the impact of a reggae artist whose debut album, Persistence, appeared in 2000 and provided a suitable title for his subsequent career of well-received live appearances and album releases. Born Christopher Campbell in Trenchtown, Jamaica, Norris Man has become recognised for his singjay style and for some enduring crossover songs like Home and Away. The music on this new release can loosely be described as a gentle kind of dancehall, demonstrated well on a track like Wish They Were There which, after an unusual arrangement at the start, moves along very convincingly. Elsewhere, Blessing is All Yours uses the same rhythm track as Humble (on the current Messenjah Selah release, Breaking Babylon Curse) and along the way there is room for some old style reggae in the shape of Got to Let You Know and it has to be said that this impresses too.

The tracks featuring collaborating performers represent strong contributions to the album, including When Your Time Is Up (featuring Pressure), We Try (with the help of Ras Attitude), the soft acoustic sound of Just Can’t Get Over You (with Sabrina Pallini) and, in particular, Nah Pollute Your Faith, a great workout in conjunction with the always reliable Lutan Fyah.

While the mellow melodic feel of When Babylon Burn sits strangely alongside its title, the album closes strongly with King of King of Kings (featuring Jah Dan), its subtle and atmospheric instrumentation supporting their heartfelt vocals. With production from Digital Ancient, Zion I Kings and Nick Fantastic, this is a consistent and vital collection that deserves the attentions of an audience who are interested in music that draws from a range of styles and who have a feel for Norris Man’s relaxed take on reggae.