It’s only been a couple of months since the last Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry album but he’s back yet again with another full-lengther. Even at 73 years old, it is clear that age is not slowing him down. Anyone that was disappointed by the Andrew W.K produced Repentance, a more hip-hop influenced outing will be excited to know, that this time he is re-united yet again with Adrian Sherwood – Perry’s British equivalent and the producer of Perry’s best work (1987’s Time Boom X De Devil Dead)since his Black Ark era of the mid – late 70s.
The Mighty Upsetter captures perfectly the dub-based reggae that they do so well. It’s as authentic as a reggae-purist could possibly hope for, with nods to some of his older material throughout the record (International Broadcaster samples the horns of Cloak & Dagger and Lucky Charm begins with the melody of Chase The Devil). But this record is no mere nostalgia trip for Perry and Sherwood. Even though this record does bring to mind vintage Upsetters, it sounds fresh and more relevant than the majority of reggae being made in recent years.
Exercising lets you know what is in store early on with tribal rhythms and an Eastern vibe with Perry’s hypnotic toasting drawing you into the record. Roots Manuva add some rhymes to the International Broadcaster while Tunisian singer Samia Farah provides an exotic and enchanting vocal to Yellow Tongue. From Perry’s usual oddball lyrics (“My wife is my knife and I am the tree of life”) to Sherwood’s superb, bass-driven production throughout, this is modern reggae at its finest and hopefully not the final collaboration between these two masters.