eMusic Review
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 »