Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry has been one of – if not the – most prolific reggae artists of all time, having been involved in the production of over 70 studio albums.
His latest, Rainford, coincides with his current world tour (remarkable for a man 83 years of age). With long-term collaborator Adrian Sherwood handling the recordings, spread across studios in Jamaica, London and Brazil, this is an eclectic mix of nine brand-new tracks, the stand-outs being Let It Rain, House Of Angels, Kill Them Dreams Money Worshippers and the very personal Autobiography Of The Upsetter – though, in truth, all of these songs are great and the album hangs together well.
It’s all reminiscent of the excellent and definitive 1987 collection Time Boom X De Devil Dead, which Perry put together in collaboration with Dub Syndicate.
9/10
Paul Pettengale