Stay Focus

As if the racks weren't stuffed with enough 2004 Sizzla product, the gruff and righteous one released Stay Focus through the high-profile VP label. Add production by the Xterminator Productions crew and you've got Sizzla's most commercial release of the year, but don't think Stay Focus is easygoing or necessary. A full album of Sizzla's relentless fast tongue isn't for everyone, but his fans eat up his hard-line, Bobo Dread-influenced lyrics. Stay Focus has plenty to offer them. Right off, there's the wicked and ambitious "Psalm 8," followed by the call to arms "Sound the Trumpet" and the noble singalong "We're the One's." The sudden shift to sweet lovers rock with "Thinking About You" is jarring, but isn't that tune familiar? Stay Focus repeats four tracks from the Light of My World album -- one renamed -- and ends up a thinly veiled collection of previously released Xterminator-helmed tracks. That explains the haphazard running order that requires shuffling, but if you don't buy "riddim" collections faithfully, you aren't going to be duplicating your Sizzla too much more. The last four tracks are top-notch and the album would've been better served if they were sprinkled about. Half of Stay Focus is prime, but the haphazard flow and repackaged material puts the album on the B-list of Sizzla product. ~ David Jeffries

ラスからのアルバム『Jah Knows Best』からほどなくして早くも新作が登場と、相変わらずの多作ぶりが続くシズラ。本作もラス盤同様にエクスターミネーター仕切りの新作だが、こちらはルーツ調のヒューマン・トラックに打ち込みの音が取って代わった一枚に。その歯切れのいい音作りをバックに、ここでのシズラは火の着くようなテンションで音に食ってかかるDJぶりによりフォーカスしている。ファルセットもいとわぬその燃焼系な全力疾走にはへえへえとひれ伏すしかないかも。噛んで含めるようなゆったりとした語り口とジワジワくる歌心が陰に回ったのはやや残念だけど、それも、ジャー賛歌の最終曲“Jah Will Must Be Done”で形は違うがすっきりと解消。ダブがたゆたうバックに乗っかる堂々たる歌いっぷりは、根っこにあるジャーへの信仰を越え、彼のソウルの塊が差し出されているかのようですね。
bounce (C)一ノ木 裕之