The Twinkle Brothers finally realized their vast potential on this set, recorded for Virgin's reggae subsidiary label, Front Line, in 1980. Drummer and lead vocalist Norman Grant exploits his rich, chesty voice to the fullest, delivering stern roots and culture lyrical messages in a style that owes as much to American gospel music as to his reggae predecessors. Instrumentally, Countrymen is in classic rockers mode, with militant rhythms that lend songs like "Patoo" and the defiant "Never Get Burn" an almost martial power. On "Jah Kingdom Come," Grant hardly even sings a melody -- on the verses he simply picks a single note and chants the words on that pitch, while the band churns a dark, slow rhythm beneath him and the backup singers throw wordless vocalisms in from behind. And on "Since I Threw the Comb Away," he brings the band in with a grunted aside that would have made James Brown proud. What this all adds up to is a roots reggae album of unusual stylistic complexity, and one of the most enduring efforts of the Twinkle Brothers' long career. [Six of the album's ten tracks were released as part of Free Africa, a Twinkle Brothers compilation issued in 1990; that album also included tracks from Love and Praise Jah.]
© Rick Anderson /TiVo