Easy Star

Review: Caleb Keolanui and JP Kennedy are The Green, album specialist reggae artists whose 'Ways & Means' album first landed back in 2011 and a year later on vinyl. Now Easy Star make it available again on green vinyl and invite you to sink into its polished and crisp riddims. The vocals are airy and articulate, and the beats range from uptempo dance hall steppers to more pillowy dubs via some tropical and Hawaiian pop hits. The record was a confident follow up to their much lauded debut album and continues to showcase the diverse range of musical influences which won that debut the title of Tunes Reggae album of the year.

Review: Since moving to Sao Paolo from New York nearly two decades ago, in-demand producer and dub mixer Victor Price hasn't released much solo material. In fact, "Drink" is his first solo album since 2002 and has been trailed as a natural successor to that album, "Smoke". This is because it expands on the "samba Ska" blueprint he established on that much-loved set. In practice that means tracks that craftily combine elements of both Brazilian music and Jamaican ska, dub and reggae, with a few jazz and blues influences thrown in. As a result, "Drink" makes for hugely enjoyable, sun-soaked listening, with the Afro-Cuban/Ska fusion of "Bebida", relaxed "Simao", skanking "Because I Can" and pleasingly dubbed-out "Time To Go" standing out.