Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers – Fallen Is Babylon

Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers have always been held to a higher standard. Children of kings are expected to have royal bearing, descendants of prophets should expand on the prophecy. Offspring of legends should live up to the tradition.

Judged by this impossible yardstick, Ziggy Marley and his siblings have never quite measured up in the eyes of the public. The remarkable thing is that these second generation Marleys have continued to churn out their brand of reggae in spite of the critics. Ziggy and his Melody makers are very much their own band, and a good band too, no matter what you say.

The latest offering from the quartet, Fallen Is Babylon, has enough to fuel both the critics and fans of the band alike. But Fallen Is Babylon is significant for the emergence as Stephen Marley as the best singer in the group, and like it or not, heir apparent to his father's legacy.

Ziggy Marley continues to do the lion's share of lead vocal work, but his ration is diminishing. Eight of the 13 songs on the album are Ziggy contributions, and five belong to Stephen. Comparisons are inevitable, and Steve clearly outshines his older brother.

Ziggy continues to struggle as a songwriter. Too often the eldest Marley is burdened by his sincerity and earnestness, trying to drub his message into your head without grace or guile. The result is music that sounds like a sermon, without the optimism, simplicity or beauty of truly incandescent reggae. Only "Diamond City" and the hip-hop flavored "Everyone Wants to Be" don't suffer from this affliction. Every other Ziggy song sounds like he's thinking too much.

Couple Ziggy with someone else's songwriting, however, and the results can border on the magical. Curtis Mayfield, the 70s soul genius who shared a mutual admiration and symbiotic relationship with Bob Marley, continues his influence into the next generation. "People Get Ready" would be truly special were it not for the overuse of Stephen as a DJ.

Stephen's role in previous albums has been to add some DJ spice to Ziggy's sermon's. Fallen Is Babylon sees Stephen embrace the legacy that his big brother has tried to distance himself from. The voice, the phrasing, the clarity of thought, are all straight out of the Bob Marley school of singing. Stephen's music may be a little too derivative of his father's work, and his conscious effort to recall "Smile Jamaica" on "Jah Bless" may be contrived, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Stephen's best work comes when his always stellar lyrics are matched with complimentary reggae rhythms. "Long Winter," perhaps his most affecting vocal performance, is diminished by a wishy-washy beat that can't decide what it wants to be. There are moments, though, when Stephen reaches heights not seen in roots-reggae in decades.

"Postman" shames Luciano's very-similar "Messenger" into a distant second place. "Notice" combines Bob's "Pimper's Paradise" and "Midnight Ravers" into a stunning reggae song that you'll be singing years from now. "Jah Bless" is a Bob Marley song over a Peter Tosh rhythm, but Steven pulls it off brilliantly. Add "Five Days A Year" and "Long Winter" and Stephen's songs alone are worth the price of the album.

THE VERDICT: Not to diminish Ziggy's performance, which is better than on his recent products, but Stephen is the story on Fallen Is Babylon. The little brother has grown up, and there is reason to rejoice. Give them a chance.