No Compromise marks the 20th anniversary of this pioneering Christian reggae band, and the group has aged well. Led by pastor Mark Mohr,
Christafari continues to blend fully credible roots and dancehall reggae with an unapologetically evangelical Christian message, and that blend has never sounded better than it does on these 15 tracks. Nearly every one of them features a guest appearance by a similarly inclined singer or deejay, most of them relatively obscure (
Solomon Jabby,
Dominic Balli) but a few of them -- notably the great dancehall chatter
Papa San -- are fairly well-known. One mark of
Christafari's maturity is the band's ability to switch styles without sounding at all dilettante-ish -- they sound as comfortable in a bouncy soca mode on "Hands Up" as they do recapitulating a vintage roots rhythm on "Try Jah Love," or riding the more modern grooves of "Compromise/Slippery Slope" and the anti-abortion anthem "Protesters." There are a few slightly awkward moments, such as the somewhat overwrought vocals on "Move in You Reprise" and the gospel-inflected and frankly kind of soft-in-the-middle "Messiah." But overall,
Christafari is not only the best gospel-reggae band currently working, but is also one of the best reggae bands out there, period, as this album proves again. ~ Rick Anderson