Messenger

Everything you'd want and then some, Messenger trips the light fantastic, gliding across genres, sliding across styles, shifting elegantly amidst the record's many moods, creating a mature album that remains one of Luciano's best. Philip Burrell's sensitive production helps it all hang together; check out "Never Give Up My Pride," where he gives Luciano's doo wop a delicate dancehall sheen with just a flick of the reverb switch and a big, booming kick drum beat. The quartet of Sly Dunbar, Donald Dennis, Dean Fraser, and Robbie Lyn creates the eclectic music, equally at home no matter what the style. From the shimmering "Mama," a soulful ballad that's guaranteed to make ever mother weep with joy, to the Latin "Life," Messenger sweeps across a musical tapestry of sound. The title track is the album's most infectious: a bouncy, lighthearted dancehall hit, with a serious message to remember Jah. And the message is always important with Luciano; his religious devotion, uplifting lyrics, and unifying hope remain his siren call. And whether it's wrapped in a beautiful ballad, a pop song, a percussion-driven dancehall number, a rootsy track, or, in the case of "Guess What's Happening," an inspired song that defies any categorization (show tune goes reggae?), the message remains the focus, even if the music is what initially grabs your attention.