Search - Jah Mason :: Wheat & Tear

Keep Sleeping. . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 09/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Quiet as kept, Wheat and Tears is (by this count) Jah Mason's 8th full length studio album and with the 8th different producer (#9 will make 9 different producers as its done for Frenchie at Maximum Sound). The man simply gets around, but despite his ronin like recording schedule he has yet to garnish the type of attention enjoyed by several of his bigger named peers although he is more than capable of seeing them all in terms of ability, he's just a curiously overlooked artist, you would think there would be more attention surrounding him, even to the point that a few of his earlier releases (Surprise Dem and Most Royal) were never released in the US.



Not that you can tell by listening to him however. Mason himself is a feverish social activist on the mic, even his laid back tunes sound hi-tech because of his raspy loud vocals, but down here, you go to most of the country, and even over other similar but more well known artists like Kalonji and Capleton, Jah Mason's records reign. Although you hear the urgency within him on every tune, there's always a connection to something simpler, as opposed to the Kgn. based dj's.



His latest release, Wheat and Tears, is his third album of 2007 and its the second best of the year (after RiSE) and one of the better of his entire career (although not as good as the MASTERCLASS which is Never Give Up or the solid truck which is Most Royal). Its pretty typical Jah Mason who has grown nice in building an album. The best tune is the opener and title track without a doubt. Wheat and Tears is a well powerful tune and I can almost see Greensleeves motioning when choosing it as the title track for the album. Also check the super-wicked Farmer Man which is one of the harder, yet most clever tunes on the entire album.



The album is sort of split into 2 different vibes which seems to be becomming the norm these days. The first half is decidedly a harder vibe than the second. On the second, my favorite song (and second favorite song on the album altogether is the nice nice King of Kings, wonderful tune, as is Let Me Live My Life and previous well powerful single Mi Chalwa (they just couldn't put Team Up here could they?!). Also check earlier wicked tune No Time and Couple Chalice a Day (which sounds like a good idea for us all!



Probably because I've been inundated with Jah Mason's music lately, there is a really strong vibe with Wheat and Tears. A little more than his typical natural aggression, although Greensleeves will undoubtedly turn its greatest promotion efforts to push forward its most recent dancehall signee, Busy Signal, Wheat and Tears is a well powerful vibe indeed.



Overall, place this album near the top of Mason's catalogue and definitely scoop it up. He seems to go the route of releasing a few one year and none for the next couple of years so, maybe they'll save #9 for 2007. There's definitely enough powerful and conscious material out for the overlooked Mason. JUST LOOK FOR IT! You'll enjoy it definitely, if you don't, call my house!"