It's an interesting irony that as
Ziggy Marley's singing voice ages and becomes more and more similar to that of his late father, the music he makes gets more and more distant from the reggae mainstream. And on
Dragonfly, his first album without
the Melody Makers, his explorations go even further afield, leading him to spend far more time with hip-hop beats and spare rock & roll than one-drop reggae grooves. There are plenty of great beats and well-crafted instrumental textures (thanks in part to such high-profile guest musicians as
Flea,
David Lindley, and DJ Chris Kilmore), with "Looking," with its lilting highlife guitars, standing as a highlight. ~ Rick Anderson