Chronixx has been keeping me rather happy over the past few days. The Exile album is a great example of the current shift back towards roots reggae.
Digi reggae seems to have nowhere else to go. The tech has transformed the genre, meaning it’s pushed the boundaries, and become a poor substitute for drum ‘n’ bass.
Meanwhile, roots remains timeless. Which is where Chronixx comes in.
Theres an unashamed attitude towards a revival on Exile. It’s an album that could quite easily have been released in 1976.
Family vibes feature strongly throughout. This is not a bravado record, but one that even has a neo soul feel to it in places.
The only criticism is that it is far too long. Seventeen tracks should have been slimmed down to nine.
Or even two standalone albums.
But Exile is a welcome return to a time when reggae was introspective, and not all about bragging rights.