Easy Star All*Stars

Newly released from the people that brought you Dub Side of the Moon, Easy Star Records and their All*Stars are back with another set taking reggae singers and players into foreign terrain. This time, the wily shapeshifters have undertaken a close-fit but real reggae cover of Radiohead’s international success OK Computer. Like the Dub Side set, careful deference is given to the framework of the originals, in excellent production. And similar to its predecessor, this project manages to walk the fine line between maintaining the blueprints as the target and still injecting real reggae flavor which, by the way, is deep and authentic: Original reggae singers and players include Toots and the Maytals, Horace Andy, The Meditations, Frankie Paul, Israel Vibration, Morgan Heritage (excellent cut of “Electioneering”) and more. Outings from fresh and upcoming talents like Junior Jazz and Kirsty Rock shouldn’t be overlooked, though. It’s fitting, too, that young and veteran artists come together nicely as part of this convergence engineered between reggae and Radiohead. Fans of either can find something in this disc. Fans of both could wear it out.