Clinton Fearon - Jah Is Love (Baco Records/Boogie Brown Productions)

For this album, recorded in France, he once again joined forces with the musicians of Riddim Source (Xavier ‘Kubix’ Bègue - guitar, Julien ‘Manjul’ Souletie - percussion, Simon ‘Saymon’ Coutant - drums, Thomas ‘Mato’ Cirade - bass, and keyboardists Muctaru Wurie and Jake Savona).

The track list features nine brand-new tunes, along with the militant, rootsy ‘Can’t Stop Us’, a song Fearon originally penned back in the 1970s but never recorded; easily our personal highlight on ‘Jah Is Love’.

As the title suggests, love takes centre stage this time around: “We are all hungry for love, maybe today more than ever. I see social unrest is getting stronger. Democracy seems to be going through the door. Greediness beats kindness in too many ways. But we can’t forget the power of love! ‘Jah Is Love’ is a wakeup call to continue the fight for humanity. We’ve been working long and hard for equal rights and justice for all of us and I hope that ‘Jah Is Love’ will help us on that road for righteousness. I am confident that true love is the key for happiness. We need one another. More love!”

The message rings clear in album opener ‘Sleepwalking’, where Fearon asks:

Are we sleepwalking?
Away from democracy…
Are we sleepwalking?
Away from humanity…
Are we sleepwalking?
Away from integrity…
Are we sleepwalking?
…

Despite what song title ‘The Real Bush Doctor’ might suggest, this isn’t a ganja anthem but rather an ecological tribute to hummingbirds and honey bees:

The honey bee and the humming doctor bird
Always working, working hard, working pollinators
Oh they work, they work so hard…

The honey bee and the humming doctor bird
Always working, working
They are the real bush doctor
Oh yes they work, they work so hard
…

With the rocksteady-tinged ‘It Go So’, Fearon seems to reflect on the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Our lives got shaken, our spirit got broken
This kind of token we take as a lesson
Go so it go so
Living in the now will help us to grow and remember
Remember that the human race a the whole a we
…

The album closes with the upbeat ‘My Very Good Friend’, a joyful homage to music itself:

Music is my very good friend
Music never let I down
Music is my very good friend
My friend I can always depend

Music’s been there when I’m feeling low
I know because I’ve been there
Music’s been there when I’m feeling nice
…

Clinton Fearon may be turning 75 next year, but he shows no sign of slowing down. ‘Jah Is Love’ is yet another testament to his undiminished voice and message.