If there was ever an intensely different but perfect roots reggae album, this is it. Probably one of the best albums I have heard in a long time, this album just captures every emotion that you could ever want from any album of any music of any genre. The exquisite songwriting and superb musicianship take this album to a Bob Marley par of reggae pureness.

From the first song “Just A Dream” starting off with what can only sound to me like a 1800’s saloon style piano straight into a groovy steppers beat that finds itself singing “Just a dream” and “Joy Deep inside, lets see life’s sunny side,” beautiful lyrics & music.

The second song is one of my favorites, “Janjaweed.” It starts off with a beautiful futuristic symphony sound that again transforms into an amazing slow paced catchy roots reggae jam. This song, I don’t know if it’s because of the horses and what sounds to me like a shuffling 1800’s town in the background just makes me feel like a weird nostalgic civil war-ish, old timey feeling every time I hear it?? If this is what Taj was going for he did it with ease and tons of likability. A very enjoyable song that I have listened to over and over just to hear in its fullness of sounds.

The next song is “B4 The War.” Again this song has a weird 1800’s feel like the previous song. From the snare in a almost constant roll/shuffle and a flute and strings accompanying the haunting lyrics, this is almost a tune I could see being played in 1856 if there was reggae back then??

“Sunny Innocents” is next. It is a different tune to say in the least. Lyrically & musically, this is a very haunting song, speaking of incest and rape with a sorrowful violin in the background make this song almost hard to listen to as the lyrics are graphic, but necessary I suppose to paint the picture that is his song about the subject. Even through all that subject matter and difference of sound on “Sunny Innocents,” it still falls right in line with my overall 1800’s weird feeling this album brings me.

“Rain Rain” just keeps the flow going with a beautiful slow paced relaxed tune that incorporates this time, harmonica. “Two Joints” is my favorite song on the cd, from the opening lyrics, “I’ve got 2 joints in my pocket” to the groove of “my woman left me,” this song features a more classic reggae sound with horn section but w/ acoustic guitar and again harmonica.

“You Ain’t Ready For The Heavy” starts with a line I remember singing as a child, “There’s a place in France where naked girls dance and there’s a hole in the wall where the boys can see it all” and that’s about all I can say about that song… maybe its me, but it kind of loses me…

“Anthems of Hope” has the best lyrics of the album “The terrorist attack, 2 wars back to back, a hurricane’s destruction, floods, earthquakes and flus. A Color coated fear, the ice caps disappear, bankers robbers money, slogans everywhere. We need anthems of hope.” The lyrics just get deeper and better from there and then more positive words start coming along with a child singing it to a faded end. Enough to make me freakin cry its so beautiful.

“Peace and Love” starts with a nice organ and contains more socially and politically conscious lyrics. It is a good tune but “Shadow of A Bird” tops it with a nice intro and great melody to make you feel happy again. The last song is “Drill,” a very powerful play on words created by the 2008 republican presidential campaign. This is a direct lyrical bomb of knowledge to the people who want to destroy whatever’s left of the earth, accompanied by a kick ass guitar solo that is reminiscent of dare I say, ?SLASH? The song/album ends with the sound of birds flying in the wind from the ocean waves and it leaves me with a certain feeling about this album.

To me, “A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen” is a  powerful record of the world’s politics, problems and solutions. For as weird as this album is to me, I cannot say one bad thing about it. What a great, mystical, mood setting and emotion creating album Taj Weekes and Adowa have made.

– www.bestofreggae.blogspot.com (Nov 2010)

4.5* out of  5*

Taj Weekes and Adowa – A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen
Tracklist:
1. Just A Dream
2. Janjaweed
3. B4 the War
4. Sunny Innocents
5. Rain Rain
6. Two Joints
7. You Ain’t Ready For the Heavy
8. Anthems of Hope
9. Peace and Love
10.Shadow of A Bird
11.Drill

Buy at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-waterlogged-soul-kitchen/id40052909