In Search Of Lost Time

Reggae artist Protoje built his name on solid, massively produced roots reggae tracks. There were always tinges of social consciousness to the lyrics, but the sound tended to stay in the modes of party-starting reggae and simmering slow jams. Fifth album In Search of Lost Time finds Protoje taking new risks and reflecting on life and the world around him more deeply than at any other point. Theres a noticeable shift towards elements of modernized rap and R&B production, with album opener Switch It Up slinking along with a bounding groove that Protoje and Koffee trade flows over. The sound is still decidedly reggae, even when Wiz Khalifa shows up to rap on the floating weed anthem A Vibe, but each track takes a different adventurous approach. The Popcaan-featuring Like Royalty mixes a bass-heavy, golden-era hip-hop beat with flowing vocal lines in the dancehall and roots reggae tradition. This is a far cry from the summery trap-pop instrumental of Weed & Ting or the pleasantly melty R&B glimmer of In Bloom featuring brilliant vocals from Lila Ike. When Protoje circles back to traditional roots reggae for the acoustic guitar-led closer Strange Happenings, hes at his most direct and reflective. Over the course of the song, he inspects his life and the world around him, moving from a carefree youth to grappling with being exposed to pain and oppression as he grew up. The varied stylistic approaches are unified by Protojes metered, cool-headed delivery and the distinctive personality he brings to each track. In this way, In Search of Lost Time feels more colorful and curious than scattered, with each collaboration coming off as an excited meeting of forces. The blend of sure-shot reggae styles and more experimental ones results in an album thats thoughtful without being too serious, and Protoje growing as an artist without losing sight of his time-tested strengths. ~ Fred Thomas