The second of the Twinkle Brothers' three albums for Virgin's Front Line subsidiary has been somewhat overlooked in reggae literature. Yes, Countrymen is a bit more consistent, but Praise Jah is hardly any less enjoyable, offering as it does such roots classics as the title track, the extremely dread rockers anthem "Jahoviah," "Dread in the Ghetto," and the gorgeous "King Pharoah," which features one of the prettiest melodies and darkest messages in the whole Twinkle Brothers oeuvre. As always, Norman Grant's sanctified singing style evokes American gospel music as much as it does his reggae and soul predecessors, and as always, Grant's production style fits the music perfectly, drenching the instruments in reverb one moment and separating everything with crystal clarity the next. There's even a moment of levity on the lighthearted (but still gently admonishing) "Shu Be Dup." Highly recommended overall. [Five of this album's ten tracks were included on Free Africa, a compilation of the Twinkle Brothers' Front Line material released in 1990.]
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