AMG Review of We Refuse

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

A Jamaican reggae singer/composer whose influences include Bob Marley and Burning Spear, Pablo Moses isn't one for a lot of gimmicks. Even when his albums became more high-tech in the 1980s, the Rastafarian remained artistically successful because of his simplicity. The consistently sociopolitical We Refuse was Moses' first album of the 1990s and boasts some of his strongest material so far, including "Under Your Spell" (an attack on colonialism), "What's the Problem" and the poignant "South Africa." On the haunting "Charlie," Moses addresses a one-time childhood friend who has turned to violent crime and sees him as a potential victim. For those who enjoyed Moses' '80s albums, We Refuse is also a CD to savor.