Jericho

Israel Vibration have long been popular among the hippified, roots-rock-reggae crowd, and while they may not be the most innovative of artists they certainly impart a strong message of peace and positivity to their fans. Jericho, Israel Vibration's second release since the group pared itself from a trio to a duo, contains no great revelations, but it does possess an undeniable mellow charisma. With the exception of "Jammin" and "Thank God It's Friday," both of which sound like cheesy outtakes from the soundtrack for the movie Club Paradise, the songs are meditations on African displacement. "Gang Bang Slam" and "Violence" speak on problems while "African Unification" and "Move Over," with its call to "get Rasta youth dem pon the scene," offer solutions. Indisputably, the group's energy is best experienced live; the release of Jericho, with its cultural worldview and sunny harmonies, best serves as a means to tide fans over until the next tour. --Rebecca Levine