True Reflections… A New Beginning

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ALBUM INFORMATION
EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 15   Total Length: 58:56

eMusic Review

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Jeff Chang

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
Long-awaited post-jail LP from a young reggae titan.
Label: VP Records / INgrooves

At 18, Jah Cure sang with Sizzla on the brilliant Beres Hammond-produced hit, "King in the Jungle." Soon after, he was jailed for alleged rape. But during his eight year stint behind bars his audience swelled, fed by a stream of performances that producers smuggled out of prison until officials gave Cure access to a studio as part of a rehab program. After the 2004 hit "Longing For" — Cure's stunning take on the melancholy "Drop Leaf" riddim and one of the decade's best reggae songs — "Free the Cure" became a rallying cry. The contrast was part of the appeal — the keening Beres-like wail on songs about unrequited love hooked onto real-life scandal.

Released on the eve of his parole, True Reflections…A New Beginning largely justifies the buzz. "I swear I can be a better man," he sings on the opener (co-written by the prison superintendent). Cure is not immune to bland sentimentality (see "Love You") but "Dem Nuh Build Great Man," a rootsy critique of Babylon sung with Fantan Mojah, is all the better for Cure's hard-won wisdom. On cutting-edge one-drop ballads like "To Your Arms of Love," "Love Is" and "What Will It Take,"… read more »

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#2 in 2007 for The Dig

Black Toad

The album is best #2 of 2007 for reggae in the Japanese magazine "the Dig" (issue 51 winter 07-08)

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Grab This One

MzzDia

All the songs here are good, deep and reflective, especially "Jamaica". Once you hear this song you want to go right out and buy a ticket.Most of the other songs are about love lost, found,searching. Jah and Fantan Mojah share the same song on separate cd's and both versions of "Dem Nuh Build Great Man" are good. Want to know more about Jah Cure read February's issue of Vibe magazine, then you will have a much better take on his vibe and his music. Otherwise if you know his music download and enjoy Peace!!

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They Say All Media Guide

The title of his fifth album is likely a veiled reference to the fact that Jah Cure emerged from a prison sentence only days before it was released. However, the songs are not filled with the kind of bitter resentment that one might expect from a young man imprisoned for a rape he swears he didn’t commit; nor does it descend into the kind of harsh, anti-Babylonian imprecation that usually typifies Bobo Dread-inspired reggae. Jah Cure has recently come over to a more mainstream brand of Rastafarianism, and it’s reflected in the gentler tone of his songs — titles like “Love Is” and “Most High Cup Full” are indicative of his current mood, as is the prevalence of love songs on this program. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be completely back at full strength yet: his rather whiny delivery undermines the smooth and romantic groove of “To Your Arms of Love,” and “Love You” sounds like a demo, and a bad one at that — it features only acoustic guitar and Cure’s ratty, out-of-tune singing. Weird and imbalanced mixes mar several other songs. There are high points, notably the brilliant one-drop anthem “Most High Cup Full” and the righteously catchy “Cease All War,” but overall this album feels like it was rushed out to market before it was really ready. – Rick Anderson

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