The Parisian duo of bassist/guitarist Patrick Bylebyl and keyboardist Guillaume Metenier is back with its third album under the name
Seven Dub, in a smooth and club-friendly set of dub-inflected house, nu-jazz, and reggae. Several guest vocalists make appearances, though
Zap Mama alumna
Angelique Willkie is featured so consistently throughout the album that she might as well be credited as a third member of the group. The other singers are
Paul St. Hilaire (formerly of
Rhythm & Sound), Zakeya, and, best of all, reggae legend
Lone Ranger, who steals the show on "It Doesn't Matter," a brilliantly funky combination track with
Willkie. Other highlights include a couple of instrumentals, the bumping "Yvo Riddim" and the cool and dark "Ashes," as well as the sexy and bass-heavy "Running Away" and a nice piece of dubbed-up rockers reggae titled "U & Dem" and featuring
St. Hilaire on vocals. Things bog down a little bit around the middle of the program, especially on the pedestrian "My Only Lover," but overall this is a great exercise in club-dub fusion.