Pama International - Love Filled Dub Band

For good or ill, the world it seems is going Dub crazy, and there are moments on this, Pama International's fifth offering, where it's impossible to decry the mania. The production is sharp and full, allowing the brass to lift the songs and the vocals to lilt and sway with the rhythms. However, there are moments when it all sounds more like a wonderfully observed recreation than an original piece of work, and there are precious few signs on this album that Pama International have the desire or the inclination to push their sound forward into the 21st century. With groups such as Fat Freddy's Drop adding soul and electronic beats to this well defined genre, Love Filled Dub Band somehow feels tired after only a couple of listens, despite those fleeting moments of excellence. [Neal Parsons]