The Aggrolites – Reggae Hit L.A.

”White man reggae”.

The first reaction I was given when I showed this album to my dad while we were driving. He’s Trinidadian so for the most part; he takes his reggae very seriously, preferring the old school to the new and fashionable. While I didn’t agree with his initial reaction, I can easily see what it is he was referring to. The Aggrolites have a sound all their own, an amalgamation of rock steady, with a heaping dose of funk, soul and ska, a creation referred to as “dirty reggae”; but their sound is just that, their own. This especially holds true as the Aggros prefer their music to sound particularly raw and dirty, despite having access to the possibility of a polished, cleaner sounding album. That already puts this album in my good books.

Reggae Hit L.A. is a real mix up album. It cycles through multiple genres listed above, throughout its entirety, but also alternating with instrumental tracks which take up half of the album length making this less of a headphones record, but rather a party album, as the general theme is just obviously about having a good time. It opens with the synth-laden “Work it” before moving onto the funked up party anthem of the title track. Of my personal favourites is the lazy horn-heavy track “let’s pack our bags” which showcases vocalist Jesse Wagner’s vocal range, moving from rough sounding and commanding, to mellow, soulful with impressive melody. Other tunes like “Rhythm & Light” and “Hip to it” are all instrumental, but give off the perfect mental images of a better place, preferably filled with sandy beaches, calm seas and a large quantity of Corona.

So you might be wondering at this point where white man reggae comes into this. It’s all about Jesse’s vocal performance. While he struts himself in a cool and confident manor, such as in the track “Lucky Strike”, it’s unique, which makes it quite jarring at first. However, he’s backed by an exceptional band that makes it all seem so natural, especially when they back up Jesse’s vocals in “Fire Girl”.

I don’t have much to complain about this album, it gives you everything you should expect in a reggae album, something fun and relaxing, yet filled with energy and soul. One of my only criticisms is with its length. The entire album clocks in at a full album’s length, with the last “song” being a single tribal drum loop being played over and over again for over 18 minutes. It’s kind of annoying, but even without that, the album feels kind of long and drawn out, with a few unnecessary tracks that could have shaved the album to a more reasonable length. However, it is what it is. Put it on at a party and let it run.

Reggae and Ska seem to be on a fourth breath which has leaded me to believe that it will never truly die. It’ll keep returning whenever it’s needed to keep giving a new generation something with enough soul to make you remember the good old days. I for one am not complaining.