Cocoa Tea

Another generous helping of buttery lovers' reggae ballads mixed with subtle Rastafarian teachings from the imperially gifted Cocoa Tea. The DJ sticks with his go-to producer, Phillip "Fattis" Burrell, but also enlists the well-trained backing sounds of the legendary studio musicians Sly & Robbie and the Firehouse Crew. While the album tends to run uncharacteristically thin thematically outside of the conscious "Mek Dem a Gwan So" and "Sinner Burning," the album's smooth ballads with just a touch of slackness are superior offerings. The album does contain two bona fide reggae classics: one in the trill horns-powered "Good Life" (Cocoa's voice never sounded so crisp and effusive) and the other an ode to underaged beauty entitled "Too Young," which pairs him with Buju Banton before his Rastafarian turn. CT also hammers home the bouncing "She Love Me Now" and the up-tempo cut "Hot Sweet Cocoa Tea." While by no means a top-notch Cocoa Tea recording, Good Life still ranks well-above standard fare in the reggae genre. ~ M.F. DiBella, All Music Guide