CD Review: Tough Life - Junior Kelly

Is there a more overlooked big artist in Jamaica than Junior Kelly? Jah Mason maybe? Maybe Determine? Or maybe even Bushman? If the title of JA's most underappreciated doesn't belong to Kelly, then he's right up there. The artist has consistently turned in big tunes and big albums and is constantly overlooked by his peers such as Sizzla (to whom he's most often compared) and Capleton, and even by the newer crop of hitmakers such as Turbulence and Fantan Mojah.

He remains, however, perhaps the single most consistent roots artist on the scene (with respect to Luciano), his music is always at a certain level and he's one of the few distinctively reggae artists who don't try to overstep the reggae 'boundaries'.

His newest album, VP's Tough Life, is very very impressive, I'd venture to say his best in a few years and one of his best ever. The opener and title track is one of the highlights and one of the big sound roots anthems you've come to expect from the artist, just big beautiful sounding reggae music. Also check the excellent Rasta Should Be Deeper, again, big anthemic sounding tune with a fantastic message.

The big pre-release tune on this one was Receive which became a JA #1 (and probably is the reason TL came out when it did) and it is a really big tune and one of the album's best. However, the real story about Tough Life is the 'toughness' of the middle tracks on the album. Beginning with the literal highlight here, which is Hold the Faith, a wicked refashioning of an old Dennis Brown hit and it features the chilling vocals from the late great Crown Prince himself.

Also in that run of tunes is the excellent Youths Dem Nah Cool which begins in typical Kelly fashion only to 'ascend' to near music perfection as Kelly abandons the typical chanting on the second verse and just begins talking directly to the youths of the world, its really a big big tune that you need to hear. The album's best tune however, is Satan Throne. The song just climbs at the beginning and eventually blows out to a luxuries anthemic melody and is actually one of the best tunes Kelly has ever recorded, you can literally replay it several times and not tire of that one tune alone. Later in the album a Kelly production, Ease My Pain becomes one of the better tunes on the album.

Overall, if you really love the reggae music, this is your album. It is almost painfully consistent and Kelly never wavers from his devotion to the music, nor his devotion to it at nearly its highest level. Tough Life is steady, maybe not spectacular, but that's the perfect way to describe the artist as well, and if you're a fan of Junior Kelly, then you will LOVE Tough Life.

Bramoi for Trini Jungle Juice

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Tough Life - Junior Kelly (VP Records)
Release Date: Sep 13th 2005

Track Listings
01. Tough Life
02. Blaze
03. Rasta Should Be Deeper
04. Receive
05. Love You Like That (featuring J.C. Lodge)
06. Touch My Heart
07. Hold The Earth (featuring Dennis Brown)
08. Jah Give Me Strength
09. Not I
10. Youths Dem Nah Cool
11. Satan Throne
12. Loser
13. Jam For A While
14. Ease My Pain
15. Dem Story
16. The More I See Her
17. Be Wise