Record Label: Hellcat Records
Genre: Dirty Reggae
Band Link: www.aggroreggae.com
Buy on Amazon.com

The Aggrolites’ 4th full-length album “The Aggrolites IV” is the follow-up to the brilliant “Reggae Hit L.A.” The Aggro reggae band have compiled 21 songs of funky, reggae, soul music that will make you want to grow out an afro and boogie with your little lady. While I think it’s hard to top “Reggae Hit L.A,” I think the band comes close to doing that. Either way, this is the album of the summer!

“Firecracker” starts off the album and like their previous albums; it’s a funk song. If people only heard the first song on their albums, they would think The Aggrolites are a funk band. But after that, the band ventures into 60s’ & 70s’ sounding reggae & rocksteady music that would make Alton Ellis and Jackie Mitto proud. The album contains less instrumental tracks, or at least it seems that way to me. I love when Jesse Wagner sings, so I prefer those songs. His vocals just sound amazing, and it seems like he’s channeling Levi Stubbs or James Brown. He’s got soul, what can I say? I love the mixture of Motown, 70’s funk and the old Jamaican rocksteady. It’s a winning combo! The lo-fi production makes you feel like you’re listening to one of your Dad’s old dusty records from the 70s. Something like that works for the Aggrolites, but not all bands. The highlight for me is a tossup between “The Sufferer” and “Tear That Falls.” Both songs are awesome in their own right. Give them a listen on their MySpace page. There’s really not that much else to say except this album gets better and better with each listen. Aggrolites fans will really enjoy this.

Bottom Line: This is the CD to just leave on during a summer barbecue.
Notable Tracks: What a Complex, The Sufferer, By Her Side, Reggae Summertime, Tear That Falls,
Overall Rating: