The Dynamics

Reggae covers of Madonna, the White Stripes, Bob Dylan (wait, that’s been done…), Led Zeppelin (that too…) and the Rolling Stones (umm…)? Reggae has always done well with covers but this disc is all about the stunt casting, and stunt casting that’s already been attempted! The vibe throughout is vintage reggae crossed with Thievery Corporation-like smoove breaks. Some tracks simply don’t work with this approach. Taking on Peggy Lee via Elvis Presley’s "Fever,” with a robotic attempt at swing, is truly awful. Worse still because Lee Perry did a much better job 30 years ago with the same tune. But the album is never unlistenable, due to the above average vocals throughout. There is some fine falsetto singing, especially the nu-dub version of Curtis Mayfield’ s "Move On Up.” When all the ingredients come together, it’s successful novelty music. My current favourite is Dylan’s "Lay Lady Lay,” which is stretched out to a slow and sexy early ’70s skank. Madonna’s "Music” fares well too, with the lyrics adapting well to a reggae context. There are some guaranteed wedding songs on this disc, and single track downloads will more than represent this album in its best light.