Every Man for Every Man

Ghetto Priest, best known as the Rastafarian frontman for electronica/fusion legends Asian Dub Foundation, has released this solo album as an identity statement. Every Man for Every Man is pure roots, a far cry from the more contemporary dancehall/rap core elements his band embrace onstage to whip up the crowds. The pace here is slow, with Ghetto Priest sounding like Bunny Wailer when he soars to hit the high notes. And, like Bunny, Ghetto Priest is more spiritual than militant; his lyrical themes cover racial equality and African repatriation, and he drops the off-quoted Native American ‘we can’t eat money' saying, which should be familiar to any hippy worth his or her ethnic beads.
‘Good Lord’ could pass as a Mighty Diamonds track, with Ghetto Priest's voice multiplied via overdub to create perfectly sweet harmonies. Every Man for Every Man's most memorable track, ‘Bright Morning Star’, sounds very Asian Dub Foundation, with its playful use of accordion and punchy dancehall beat. A curve-ball closer comes with ‘Babylon Queendom’, a little-known Peter Tosh cover that Ghetto Priest sings with breezy optimism before fading out with a slick dub makeover.