In A Lovers Roots Style

Lincoln “Sugar” Minott got his nickname the old-fashioned way: he earned it, by dint of a voice so sweet that it sounds as if it were drenched in honey. Forty years after starting his career as a member of the African Brothers, his singing voice is as strong and lovely as it ever was, and on In a Lovers Roots Style he is supported by the crack dancehall production team of Mafia & Fluxy in a program of the smooth, modern reggae that has become his signature. The album’s title is apt: Minott’s preferred style nicely straddles the roots-and-culture and lovers rock styles, the former exemplified by the old-school rhythms he favors, and the latter by the romantic lyrics that he delivers better than almost anyone of his generation. Highlights on this album include the swinging and subtly funky “Do You Love Me Girl,” and the cool, soca-flavored dancehall groove of “Ah Wah Do Dem”; less compelling is “Don’t Let Me Wait,” the rhythm of which is rather tired and on which Minott himself seems a bit tired, as well. But it is immediately followed by “Full Control,” a song that is just as slow and laid-back as “Don’t Let Me Wait,” but on which Minott’s delivery implies a certain restrained energy. Like many of Minott’s best albums, this one is basically mood music — and it’s a very good mood. – Rick Anderson