On the second installment of their Inspiration Information series, U.K. based Strut Records has paired Reggae legend Horace Andy and famed house producer Ashley Beedle to introduce an interesting sonic twist on a native island sound. With Andy’s reggae career spanning decades and Beedle’s production credits just as impressive, these two make quite the odd couple, fusing dance, house, reggaeton and classic reggae to achieve a unique sound.

The first track off the LP, ‘When the rain falls’ sets standards unbelievably high as you dive into this album. The track comes strapped with all of the reggae essentials: an island groove, soothing vocals and a positive message, a true throwback to the Marley days. Following right on its coat tails is another island banger, ‘Watch me.’ Based on its muggy native sound you’d think the entire album was going to be a pleasant blast back to reggae’s rich roots, but directly following this track Beedle begins to flex his deep house heritage, switching this record from laid back, classic reggae to a droning dance record. Even the lyrics begin to suffer, for example, ‘Rasta don’t’ has Andy spouting off no-no’s for Rastafarians for nearly four minutes over a soundscape tailor made for Daddy Yankee.

Although Inspiration Information II has more misses than hits, there are still a few genuine reggae joints that really showcase the talent and diversity that both of these artists’ are capable of. Having been recorded in only five days, this album would have been more cohesive if it wasn’t so obvious that it was a rushed effort.

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