By Angus Taylor
On Jan 17th 2010

Music by Lutan Fyah

Collects Lutan Fyah's work for Flava McGregor, showing his softer side.

Kemar 'Flava' McGregor continues to show us why he is a dominant Jamaican one-drop producer by linking with the prolific Spanish Town singer-deejay Lutan Fyah.

Fyah's heavy singles recording schedule and a couple of poorly produced and underwhelming album-efforts threatened to dilute his catalogue a while back (although he can hardly be blamed for working for his livelihood and often in reggae it is the producers who decide when and how to release a performer’s work). But now he seems to have hit an artistic hot streak: gracing four albums in 12 months yet still delivering the goods.

Lutan Fyah - Music Despite all the rhythms coming from one source, 'Music' - with its rather functional title - doesn't feel like a "proper" album. Lots of the tunes will be familiar from previous long and short format releases (Screaming, on the Triumphant rhythm appeared on 2006's Greensleeves masterpiece album 'Phantom War', whereas Music, on the 83, was released in 2008 on a Greensleeves rhythm disc bearing the backing's name) and the close but not contiguous proximity of different cuts of the songs Eden and Girl Don't Cry No More suggest everyone just wanted to get the tracks out there. Two interesting combinations have been included: the slow ballad Gun (featuring the immaculate voice of Etana) and Life (where Gyptian and Perfect get doused in autotune over the Vibes rhythm). Interestingly, the final cut Suffering Us, on the Flute, surfaced in another form via Lustre Kings (who helmed Lutan’s second full-lengther 'Time And Place' in 2005) on their Red Razor rhythm. Both issued back in '06, they are starkly dissimilar, with the major key Flava production sounding stoical and uplifting, while the minor key Lustre Kings rendition is a tense and angry affair.

So although this set won't be of huge interest to the avid singles collector, Lutan's vocals and lyrics are a good match to Flava's slick productions and create another enjoyable, if somewhat soft-sounding, record. Given the troubles and controversies Lutan Fyah has faced in Jamaica and the harsh financial climate that necessitates so much recording, it's great to hear him doing so well.