Sweet So Till

AMG Review of Sweet So Till

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

The Gladiators' fourth album for Virgin's Front Line imprint found the band smoothing the edges of its rough and rootsy sound just a bit, while still maintaining the edgy flavor of its vinegary trio harmonies and rolling along on propulsive rockers grooves courtesy of some of Jamaica's top studio musicians (including, on this session, organist Ansel Collins, saxophonist Tommy McCook, and drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace). As always, leader Albert Griffiths contributes a solid set of original songs, all of them focused on oots and culture themes: the exalted "Let Jah Be Praised," a by the numbers repatriation anthem titled "Red Green and Gold," the defiant "No Disturbance." The harmonica part on "Backyard Meditation" is just a bit intrusive, as are the cloying synthesizer and flute parts on "Press Along," and the synthetic squiggles that wander throughout many of this album's songs are an unnecessary distraction. But beneath the surface irregularities, this is yet another stellar effort from one of oots reggae's most consistent bands.