Thunder and Lightning

They were quite literally an accident – formed out of the ashes of a defunct Derrick Morgan album that never left the ground. The Aggrolites were formed as an individual collection of ska lovers in Southern California to play backup for the legendary singer who discovered they had their own untarnished sound. And if their self titled debut under Hellcat Records is any telling, the Aggrolites are going to be a force all their own on the Dirty Reggae scene for years to come. Don’t be misled; this is not the Voodoo Glow Skull style of ska but a marriage of ragamuffin and rocksteady music that mirrors the back beat and rhythm guitar of the Skatalites and U-Roy. Tracks like ‘Mr. Misery’ enthralls the fortitude of other notables like The Specials while capitalizing on the overall group sound above individual achievements that plague most groups today. Supplying biting rhythm from the aid of Brian Dixon to Roger Rivas’ lighthearted organ ballads, The Aggrolites stand out as a resurgence of a sound long since departed from a music landscape once ruled by Lee Perry and the Upsetters. This is true funk reggae – a jumble of soul with slow heavy bass and even the noticeable influence James Brown are apparent throughout. ‘Prisoner Song’, one of the stronger efforts, takes off with the aid of Rivas’ heavy hands and the backing of Jeff Roffredo and Jesse Wagner’s coarse vocals. By the time the final track, ‘A.G.G.R.O’ crosses your ears, an induced groove takes over and you’re hooked thanks in part to Scott Abels’ wicked drum licks.  Sure, as a whole the songs tend to blend a bit after time but each range with hints-to-arrogant divergence that in the end the complete album is still accessible without being superfluous. The songs call from the past flavors of Prince and Jackie Mittoo - thanks in part to Wagner’s word and the blistering keys by Rivas, respectively. It will move you and even the most jaded listener can’t deny the grit-swing sure to follow with each passing moment. Their name may derive from the British term aggro, meaning tough, but this Kingston era album is a simple choice for anyone.