Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

This isn’t the first reggae tribute to the Police, so it’s not really as original as it may at first seem to be, but it’s still damn good. The Police are a band that owes much of their success to an reggae-like sound that kept them on the edge, and this album is a repayment from some of the biggest reggae artists in the world.

Spirits in the Material World is a very refreshing album, especially since there are many copycats out there these days. But don’t take this incredible work as some sort of copy of the Police. It truly is a tribute in every sense of the word, as these artists truly appreciate everything that the band has done -- not only for reggae music, but for music in general.

Interestingly enough, Roxainne, the smash hit from 1978, is not on this disc, which is notable because of the fact that it’s one of the most notorious reggae-influenced songs from the band. If you aren’t sold on this album yet, you might be interested to hear that it is produced entirely by The Inner Circle, the group known for the song Bad Boys from the show Cops (they also contribute a rendition of The Bed’s Too Big without You from 1979’s Regatta de Blanc).

Some notable tracks on Spirits in the Material World are Synchronicity I, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, Every Breath You Take, and Invisible Sun. Synchronicity I is performed by Junior Reid, and it opens up the album with the perfect mix of reggae flavor and Police flavor at the same time. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic is performed by UB40’s Ali Campbell, and while it can’t compare to the original, it’s still a track that will make you sing along and will bring you back to the first time you heard it every time. Every Breath You Take is performed by pop star Joan Osborne, and it’s an interesting addition here, because it almost sounds like it doesn’t even deserve to be on a reggae album. Horace Andy’s take on Invisible Sun is one of my favorite tracks, because it is incredibly reggae and makes you want hit the repeat button so that you can hear it over and over.

Basically, this album is great. It would have received a perfect score if the Osborne track was scrapped for a true reggae artist or even a cover of Roxainne. This is still one of the freshest albums that I’ve heard in a long time, and it’ll be in my rotation for awhile!