His debt to Dubé is most clearly evident on "Misty Morning," "August Town," and the lovely "Heaven Will Rise Up." But on "Ghetto Pain" and several other tracks, the combination of rockish guitars and reggae rhythms makes for a fresh sound, and every once in a while he departs from reggae entirely, as on the explicitly soul-derived "Exhale" and the R&B exercise "I Don't Need Your Love" (neither of which is that great, frankly). Duane Stephenson doesn't fill that hole perfectly, nor would listeners want him to, but his singing does provide some of the same cathartic rush that Dubé's did, and on his solo debut (his first album since leaving his post as lead singer for To-Isis) he brings a variety of stylistic influences to bear on what amounts to a really rather unique take on modern roots reggae. The violent and senseless death of South African reggae star Lucky Dubé in late 2007 was not only a horrible tragedy for his family and friends it also left a hole in the reggae firmament where once there had been a soaringly beautiful voice with a perfect (if rather repetitious) sense of pop hooks.
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