Passafire cover a lot of ground for a reggae band. The foursome -- Ted Bowne, lead singer and guitarist; keyboard ace Adam Willis; and the rhythm-heavy Kubley brothers, drummer Nick and bassman Will -- ranges far and wide, not content to merely work variations on Jah music. They also bring elements of jazz, hard rock, dub, ska, and pop to the table, not to mention their youthful enthusiasm and polished musicianship. "Carouser" opens with Bowne showing off his prowess laying down an extended effects-laden excursion into dark metallic guitar territory while the Kubleys supply an echoing dub backbeat. Midway through they settle into a smooth, relaxed ska groove while they sing of rowdy good times "surfing in the snow." Bowne closes the track with another impressive guitar throwdown. "Illuminate" combines funky drumming, R&B keys, crunchy hard rock guitars, and a pleasing pop melody that alternates between funk and ska -- the sharp harmony vocals have a hint of
the Police in their delivery. The reggae-rocker "Queen of Spades" rides a jaunty one-drop rhythm, and benefits from the remarkable Hammond B-3 work of Willis and the inventive rhythm accents of the Kubley brothers. Willis takes the lead on "Prelectricity," the slow, grinding reggae groove that brings the album to a close. A horn section pops up, adds a few jazzy asides, and then gets buried in a final onslaught of metallic guitar noise. The murky mix often makes the music less bright than it should be, and often obscures the lyrics, but it's obvious that the bandmembers have a lot on the ball and they probably bring the fire when they play live. ~ j. poet