Album Review: Chronixx, Chronology

Summer is here, in theory at least, so we’re going to need a soundtrack. Which is where Chronixx comes in, with this album of aural sunshine. Sit on your balcony in Inchicore, Tullamore, or Oranmore, and let this album transport you to Kingston and environs, even if it’s lashing, which it probably is.

Jamar “Chronixx” McNaughton has been attracting attention in his native Jamaica since as far back as 2012, but, despite various singles and mixtape appearances (check out 2016’s Roots & Chalice with Federation Sound), this is his first album proper. The music harks back to the classic ’70s reggae sound, with some slight elements of dancehall thrown in, not to mention some of the finest lover’s rock heard since Gregory Isaacs ceased trading.

‘Majesty’ and ‘Smile Jamaica’ are gorgeous paeans to real or imagined beauties, while ‘Spanish Town Rockin’ showcases both Chronixx’s toasting skills and his sweet vocals. At other times, there’s a more roots-focused approach, particularly on ‘Big Bad Sound’, ‘Ghetto Paradise’ and ‘Country Boy’. Best of all is ‘Skankin’ Sweet’, a forget-your-troubles number built around a mid-tempo groove that would make a stone sway. Indeed, it’s a serious song of the year contender; if Bob Marley had recorded it, he’d have considered the day’s work well done and gone off for a game of football and a smoke.

We would be talking about a ten-out-of-ten classic if it were all this good, but Chronology does tread water in places. The worst offender is ‘I Can’, which sounds a bit like Coldplay attempting reggae, although nothing could really sound that bad. Still, if you’re after sunshine in a bag, here it is.