CD Review

Sizzla

Life

Greensleves Records  Buy Now At Amazon

Reviewed for The Reggae Movement by PAR

Like any fan of conscious reggae, When Sizzla first dropped on the scene back in '98 I was thrilled by the sound of this young artist.  For the next few years that followed, he continued to please the positive ear.  The recordings from this century by this hard working artist, however, have been more hit and miss, reverting to hardcore dancehall riddims with less conscious lyrics. 

Sizzla had given us too much early on to completely alienate the masses, and, even though I had been disappointed by his recent style, I knew there was a reason that I continued to check out every album he put out. 

Sizzla’s album  “Life” proved to be the reason I had been so dedicated to him throughout the eyars.  More like the original style which blew him up and caught my ears when I was first exposed, “Life” is packed with 16 steady tracks of Sizzla in the conscious dancehall style. 

Sizzla, aka Sizzla Kalonji, gives us consciousness immediately on opening track where he prays for things to be better one day.  But it is track 2, entitled Mortal Man, recorded for King Jammy and featuring vocals by the smooth Thriller U, that insures this album is worth a good listen. 

It is true that no Sizzla album would be complete without a ganja tune, and he of course provides on this album by track 4, simply entitled “Marijuana”. 

Sizzla is at his best when he sings about the most high on some original roots riddims, and tracks 7 and 8 Fullfilled my yearning to hear the Kalonji tunes I strive to find every time I pop in a new Sizzla cd. “Ain’t That Nice” and “Jah Love” gives a great reminder of the early days of Sizzla, as well as a possible glimpse to the future.

In the cds sleeve Sizzla proclaims, "This is the beginning of a new era for me."  Whether those are words from the heart, or the words of a good marketing manager is yet to be determined.  The cd Life is not without some overwhelming dancehall tracks, but overall it's worth having in your modern Reggae collection.  Look out for Sizzla to keep spreading Jah blessings. 

Reviewed by PAR for The Reggae Movement