Hustling Ability

The On-U Sound stable of studio musicians is kind of like a kaleidoscope: shake it or turn it and you end up with something different every time, yet the basic elements remain the same. Luckily, in the case of On-U Sound the basic elements are of the highest quality, so even if a certain amount of, um, sonic consistency tends to unite albums by Dub Syndicate, Strange Parcels, Audio Active, Little Axe, and more, at least it's a pleasant (and often aurally challenging) consistency. 2 Badcard is yet another configuration of the On-U Sound crew, though in this case it turns out to be almost a solo album by acclaimed keyboardist Carlton Ogilvie (whose credits include stints with Mykal Rose, Aswad, Bushman, and, of course, Dub Syndicate). Label head Adrian Sherwood lends his typically heavy and dubwise production style to what is basically a program of slow, dark, straight-ahead modern roots reggae. The late, great Prince Far I makes a cameo appearance on the very fine "Chatty People," and the tempo picks up toward the end of the album with "Mentally Ska'd," a nice tribute to old-school ska that includes a clever pun on the classic "Guns of Navarrone" theme. Not everything here is especially noteworthy, but all of it is quite pleasant. ~ Rick Anderson|