Reviewed by Martin I Smith

The label of "Messianic roots reggae" is an obscure one and make no mistake, Teddy Chadwick's team from Jerusalem aren't playing straight forward power pop worship. A quick look at the credits shows you that their renditions of popular worship songs are littered with trombones, saxophones, violins and organs (as well as Teddy's Davidic harp) and the quickest race through the music will show you that at the heart of it all is solid reggae groove. The dynamic between the elements of powerful brass shouts and the chilled out reggae riffs is utterly delectable and is strongest on "Roni Roni Bat Zion" and "Strong And Mighty", one of Chadwick's own. There is a variety of vocal contributions on the record, pulling off some tender harmonies and Teddy himself sings a number of parts though his voice isn't as strong as his guests. It would have been nice to have more than just a couple of original compositions on the album and at just under 40 minutes the disc is a tad short for a modern LP. Still, much respect for making such a fresh approach to Messianic and reggae worship.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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