Modern roots reggae has no more stalwart champion these days than
Anthony B, whose serious Bobo Dread demeanor and dedication to strictly conscious lyrical themes are matched only by the solid reliability of his singing and toasting and his excellent taste in rootswise rhythms. On Freedom Fighter, he joins with the Irievibrations session crew, who provide a nice array of live-recorded grooves over which he sings and chats with assurance. As always, the roots are front and center, but R&B influences come to the fore on this album as well, particularly on "No One Knows Tomorrow" (whose easy-rolling groove contrasts strongly with
Anthony B's intense delivery) and the (sadly Auto-Tune-tainted) dancehall R&B fusion of "Beat Dem Bad." A clear pattern emerges on Freedom Fighter: rhythms that are tight and restrained supporting a vocal delivery that is impassioned and intense. That's what you hear on "Too Hard" (with its meat-and-potatoes rockers rhythm and cool female backing vocals underneath
Anthony B's fiery deejay declamations), "Born to be Free" (on which singing and chatting alternate nicely over a rock-solid beat, garnished with a simple and subtle hook), and the chugging steppers anthem "Same Boat." The title track features a very nice singjay performance over a steppers update of the "Soul Rebel" rhythm. On "Defend My Own," he succumbs to the paranoid grandiloquence that apparently threatens to overcome every rapper and dancehall artist that becomes really successful. But on the much more sweet-tempered "Jah Bless Me," he exhibits a salutary humility, and the album ends on an interestingly funky note with "Hail Jah." ~ Rick Anderson