STEPHEN MARLEY - Mind Control Review

You, and roughly 20,000 other Canadians, are marching to Queen's Park in a protest to legalize, not decriminalize, marijuana. The weather is, for lack of a better word, absolutely beautiful. But, here comes the tricky part; you don't have any smoke. While a combination of protest laws and the fact that by smoking you destroy the evidence essentially makes taking a hit legal at the protest, it is entirely against the law to purchase actual green. So what do you do? If you're Marc Emery, the Canadian Prince of Pot, you listen. ...full text There are moments during this middle Marley boy's debut album that you can drift off and imagine you're listening to a long-lost B side from his dad. The fourth of Bob's ten recognized children, Stephen possesses a vocal tone that is uncannily close to his dad's. Perhaps more important, Stephen is also blessed with some of Bob's songwriting gift. He co-wrote and produced most of Damian's breakthrough 2005 collection and demonstrates an even broader range here. "Hey Baby" features a verse from Mos Def and some skillful light R&B production; "The Traffic Jam" is a stripped-down dancehall romp; "Iron Bars" -- which has the impassioned refrain "Let me out, let me out/I'm an angry lion" -- could be a roots-reggae classic. Mind Control does justice to Bob Marley's legacy -- and that's saying a lot....full text The sometimes silent heir (and second son) to the storied Bob Marley legacy, Stephen Marley crafts his own social theory, society markers and when applicable or convenient, catchy agreeable tunes about radically divisive subject matter. Don't mistake it for protest music, though-it doesn't have enough protest and it's far too leisurely. Mind Control (Universal Republic) is a fiercely subdued collection of gentle jams that live on the pulse of society....full text