Formed in 1997, the American reggae band
SOJA have long connected the rock-reggae dots between rockier acts like
Rebelution and modern roots bands like
Midnite, so don't automatically lump them in with the flip-flop-wearing jam band crowd. There's something more authentic in their music, especially on their 2014 album,
Amid the Noise and Haste, which benefits from the natural, comfortable flow a veteran band can offer, coupled with a more mature songwriting style that has now grown and now reaches new roots reggae heights. Slow, downtrodden numbers aren't often good album openers, but "Tear It Down" is an example of growth that deserves to be up-front, offering the direct "Total destruction is on the horizon, if you're on the outside lookin' in/And our Congress and President never even mention it, can't even figure out gay marriage," and none of that murky and vague revolution stuff. That wordy wonder is equaled by the
Michael Franti feature "I Believe," which is bright, horn-driven, and filled with a complicated mix of uplift and moral cautions; then there's "Treading Water," which deals with personal politics and heartbreak but finds there are no easy answers or actions. These weighty highlights are tempered by more celebratory tracks like the easy and free "Your Song," with
Damian Marley, or the sweet and lovely "She Still Loves Me" with
Collie Buddz. Put together, this is a high point for the band and an easy introduction to one of richer and more rewarding acts the American reggae scene has ever offered. ~ David Jeffries
