Here Come the Kings

Five years after 2008’s Mission in Progress, the five siblings of Morgan Heritage return with Here Come the Kings. It's a solid, R&B-inflected full-length that finds the group collaborating with an impressive roster of producers to reach a sound that blends solid, roots-derived rhythms with a grab bag of more contemporary flourishes. On the solemn opener, “Man Has Forgotten,” Morgan Heritage yokes a rugged dancehall rhythm to a set of fiercely indignant lyrics calling for a return to the social consciousness and political activism of the roots era. Elsewhere, the group slightly slows the pace to make a few excursions into lovers’ rock territory on “Perfect Love Song” and “Love Stoned,” which sees dancehall veteran Shaggy drop by to deliver an uncharacteristically tender verse. All told, Morgan Heritage acquits itself well on the album's 12 songs. The material here is every bit as engaging as that found on classic Heritage efforts like One Calling, Protect Us Jah, and Full Circle.