More absolute treats from the Night Owls camp as members of The Lions along with The Aggrolites’ Roger Rivas lay down the riddims for another brace of guest vocalists and together re-imagine old soul classics in a funky reggae style. But who could possibly handle injecting the right amount of soul into the Owls re-version of Ray Charles’ You Don’t Know Me? Only Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed of course! A pairing to conjure with, you’ll no doubt agree – but hold on – what’s this on the B-side? Only renaissance rocksteady man Jr Thomas turning up to assist the band in a re-imagining of Eddie Kendricks’ Motown classic If You Let Me that doesn’t lose an iota of the soul while simultaneously giving things a one-drop reggae injection. Blimey! Well that’s a dead heat then!
(Out 14 April on F-Spot Records)
