Lms – Straight From Da Root

The third album from the trio comprised of offspring of late reggae patriarch, Denroy Morgan showcases the group’s somewhat maturing vocals. Laza, Shy Poo, and Miriam have moved away from the bubblegum reggae/pop of their first two offerings, and tend more to adult-ish R&B themes and the teachings of the Rastafarian religion. The musical backing provided by such traditional reggae studio musicians as Dean Fraser and Sly Dunbar is collated well here by producer Philip “Fatis” Burrell, but the eminent power of the dancehall does not always come through here, perhaps on account of the group’s unaccomplished style. Essentially, despite the well-conceived arrangements of the musicians, and even the well-intentioned lyrics and adequate singing of the trio, the group fails to achieve a real compelling sense of melody. In dancehall, without a stirring melody, the music has no backbone, and while LMS hit many of the right notes (including some nice harmonizing on standouts like “Rock Up the Station” and “Love 4 You,” and inspired toasting on “I Love Zion”), there is nothing here to suggest that the group has wisdom beyond their years (as in the case of contemporary reggae youth Warrior King) or, more importantly, that they possess a singular sound that would separate them from the pack.