Unchained Spirit
A new record from reggae's leading contemporary vocalist is an event, especially since three  years separateUnchained SpiritfromInna Heights. He's still very much a leader of  the conscious, spiritual movement in the music, wearing the heritage ofBob Marley. And he takes chances, as his version of  "23rd Psalm" shows--a soft, evocative beginning to a record that pushes at the genre's boundaries, even as it  makes nods toward dance hall on "Pull It Up" (which features the excellentBeres Hammond). But Banton and his gravelly voice  seem to have his heart in the '70s, as "Better Must Come" shows all too clearly. LabelmatesRancidshow up on the edgy "No More Misty Days,"  which, oddly, has echoes ofU2. Banton has never  felt himself constrained by reggae; instead it's always been his springboard--but never more so than here,  where the reggae spring has made this album worth the wait.--Chris Nickson