Pay It All Back Vol 5

For the small but devoted (and worldwide) cult that follows the activities of British avant-reggae label On-U Sound, the Pay It All Back compilation series has served over the years as both a cruel tease and a welcome sign of the label's ongoing vitality. Installments in the Pay It All Back series always include both recent releases (often in alternate mixes) and selections from upcoming albums; since head honcho and house producer Adrian Sherwood is notorious for his inability to predict with any accuracy the release dates or even the eventual realization of his various projects, On-U fanatics know that those previews may sometimes end up being the only thing they're going to get from the artists in question. No such problem with Vol. 5, which features alternate mixes from African Head Charge (the blistering "Animal Law"), Strange Parcels ("Outsiders"), and Little Axe ("Out in the Cold & Rain"), as well as an otherwise unreleased tidbit from the laconic dub-funk poetess Little Annie ("I Drop Your Name") and previews of upcoming albums by Two Badcard and Audio Active. For old-timers, there's also a previously unreleased slab of electro-funk from Tackhead and a rather disappointing dub-house contribution from Mark Stewart. Recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson|