Album: Reggae Gone Country

Artiste: Various

Genre: Country

Rating: 4 stars

Reggae artistes 'going country' may sound a little crazy at first. But after listening to the Reggae Gone Country album it's proven to be a golden idea.

An innovative project brought to listeners by VP Records and Warner Music Nashville, the recently released Reggae Gone Country chose some of the best country songs and some of the best voices in reggae music to sing them right. From younger acts such as Romain Virgo, to eclectic acts such as Tessanne Chin and veterans Beres Hammond, Sanchez, Luciano and Freddie McGregor, the CD showcases a diverse set of talent. Reggae Gone Country consists of 13 covers of country classics, plus one bonus iTunes track.

Jamaicans have long had a love for country music which is showcased in a variety of ways. The constant crowd-packing ability of acts like Kenny Rogers to Jamaican soil is proof of this. Reggae Gone Country combines Jamaican's love for the music with our unique style of singing. A smooth listen from start to finish, the Reggae Gone Country album has a wide range of country songs with themes of love, loss and more.

standouts

One of the clear standouts on the album is Beres Hammond's rendition of George Jones' He Stopped Loving Her Today. From the opening line, 'he said I love you till I die', Hammond has listeners captivated. Also doing a standout rendition is Luciano's version of late Jim Reeves' He'll Have To Go. With Luciano's version, one can hear a touch of reggae mingled with the classic country sound. One of two females on the album, Tessanne Chin does Don't It Make My Brown Eyes justice with a very soulful rendition. Sanchez tackles El Paso, while Duane Stephenson adds his smooth flavour to Suspicions and Busy Signal takes on Kenny Rogers with The Gambler.

A good listen overall, one of the few downfalls of an album like this is that there are instances when you can't help but hear the original tracks. An example being Patsy Cline's epic Crazy, sang over by singer Etana. While Etana's voice is at one of its best during the rendition, it doesn't come close to the depth that Cline had.

- Krista Henry

Track Listing:

1. California - Romain Virgo & Larry Gatlin

2. He'll Have To Go - Luciano

3. Wolverton Mountain - Richie Stephens

4. Crazy - Etana

5. The Chair - Tarrus Riley

6. He Stopped Loving Her Today - Beres Hammond

7. Suspicions - Duane Stephenson

8. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes - Tessanne Chin

9. Feel So Right - Gramps Morgan

10. King Of The Road - Freddie McGregor

11. El Paso - Sanchez

12. Flowers On The Wall - L.U.S.T.

13. The Gambler - Busy Signal

14. Straight Tequila Night - Tarrus Riley (iTunes Bonus Track)