Christafari

Item: Valley Of Decision
Author: Bob Melvin

Valley Of Decision

(1996)

Reviewed by Bob Melvin

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Label Gotee RecordsThe LighthouseJune 1996

ccm reggae worship

Christafari's latest release, Valley Of Decision, finds the reggae outfit a little fatter. Everyone who wasn't "officially" in the band (i.e. on the cover) on the last album, Soulfire, is in the band now, give or take a few people (James "Jaibo Culture" Pach left to pursue full-time ministry, and more recently, bassist Lyndon Allen departed to pursue fatherhood).

On the plus side, Barbados native Marky Rage (keyboards, BGVs) and Vanessa Mohr (dancing, and also the wife of frontman Tansoback) have come aboard, officially giving the band enough members to change their name to "reggae supergroup Christafari." The Arrested Development-esque metamorphosis aside, however, Valley Of Decision is a tight, solid example of what '90s reggae should sound like.

Billed by Tansoback as "100% reggae," Valley Of Decision features the trademark Christafari blend of roots and dancehall styles. This time around, however, rap and hip-hop influences have been abandoned in favor of a stricter island sound. In turn, the band sounds more comfortable and focused. Check out the flamenco-style guitar and mean horn line on the title track, or the undeniably sunny groove of "Keep On Looking Up." Also worthy of note is "Can't Stop," which was so good that it's on the album twice-"No Puedo Dejar," the Spanish version, is the album's final track. The hands-down, most interesting song is "Jungle Inna Babylon," a bizarre hybrid of roots reggae and house music. It really shouldn't work. But it does.

One major trait of reggae music that separates it from other genres is its utter lack of pretentiousness. Reggae has never really tried to be subversive, and Christafari is no exception. On Valley Of Decision, they continue their lyrical straightforwardness, from simple praise songs ("Can't Stop" and "Best Friend") to songs of encouragement ("Keep On Looking Up") and brokenness before God ("Surrender"). This is not to say that every song is "Don't Worry, Be Happy," of course. The band isn't afraid to get their hands dirty. "Modern Day Pharisee" deals with frustration about legalism and hypocrisy:

You tie your heavy load and throw it upon my back And if I stumbled and fell to the floor you'd pursue with a vicious attack You love to sit and accuse, and go so far to inflict abuse Are you really out for blood? Don't forget that we all fall short of the glory of God Modern Day Pharisee-you didn't have to judge me Modern Day Pharisee-you love to shine brightly

The only weakness in an otherwise brilliant record lies in the instrumental interludes. They showcase the band's killer instrumentation, but they're just not long enough. There's not really enough time to get into them (the longest clocks in at a mighty 44 seconds) before they fade out. It's a small gripe, however. Pull up a sandbox and let Valley Of Decision transport you to sunnier climes.