Reviews

On my 2007 best-of list, I had The Aggrolites pegged all wrong. I put them in my “Worst Bands” category despite listing Tim Armstrong’s A Poet’s Life as one of my favorite releases of the year…The Aggrolites were the backing band on that record. I guess I finally came around to Reggae Hit L.A. during my couple of days on the Jersey shore last summer. I threw it on for no particular reason, but it clicked…in a big way. I realized that there was a lot more to this band than just the stigma that seems to follow a lot of acts in the reggae genre. What I started to hear were Motown and soul undertones coupled with a fantastically suited front-man in Jesse Wagner. So, I’ll issue my apology now (sorry guys!) and use the rest of this review to tell you why their appropriately titled fourth LP, IV, is a damn fine record.

While soul fused with reggae has been the trademark of The Aggrolites for years, IV introduces a bit of funk and some great instrumentation in surprising places that just gives the record a timeless feel. With the digitization of so much music these days, a lot of stuff is starting to sound inauthentic. The Aggrolites seem to pride themselves on working towards the opposite of this trend. Everything here sounds organic and every nuance is perfectly pitched to accentuate the laid-back atmosphere without putting the listener to sleep. And of course there’s Wagner, a vocal acrobat who jumps from staccato yelps in the vein of James Brown to a silky-smooth croon akin to Otis Reading throughout the entire record. As more and more bands become driven by technology and merchandise sales, The Aggrolites sound like they’re playing your backyard bar-b-que in t-shirts and jeans.

IV does get a bit tiresome throughout its twenty-one tracks, but at least they’re giving a ton of music on each release. The length does serve the record well though in that when the band switches the sound up a bit, you take immediate notice. This isn’t a ground-breaking release, it’s just great reggae music with a smattering of new ideas, perfect execution and production, and an atmosphere that sucks you. I’ve been converted and I’m looking forward to blasting this record all summer.