Soul Protection

On this album, Wet Cookies (who deserve some kind of halfhearted award for juxtaposing a really lousy band name with a really wonderful ensemble sound) branch off in a slightly different direction from their usual instrumental dub/jazz/electro, inviting several guest vocalists into the studio and exploring soul and R&B styles both old and new. There's still plenty of jazzy swing and spacious dubbiness, but the addition of vocalists like Abisara, Betty Semper, Hubert Tubbs, and Rufina Frontin widen the potential appeal of this album considerably, while a brilliant appearance by rocksteady legend Ken Boothe on a fine update of "When I Fall in Love" will draw in the reggae fans. The band's greatest strength is its ability to fuse all of those styles into a sound that is both unique and still somewhat familiar, and if some of the songs are less compelling than others, all of them reveal a group that is exploring fruitful new territory. Highlights include a romping remake of Cameo's freak-funk classic "Word Up," the smoky trip-hop of "Flunk-Personal Stereo (Wet Cookies RMX)," and the slow, smoky, dubwise jazz-soul of "Unwind." Even relatively pedestrian moments like the rather wanky "1, 4, 3" and the aimlessly floating "Is It Really Possible" offer plenty of attractive textures and some fine singing.