If there's a better reggae band than Badfish in Orange County, most of the world had yet to hear about it. Actually, Badfish may simply be the best band original band in SoCal, period. For one thing, their reggae chops are impeccable, and for another thing, they don't limit themselves to reggae but veer happily into hip-hop and dancehall at the drop of a backwards baseball cap. They manage to balance an authentic, true to the roots sound with a remarkable level of hookiness. Too often young bands like this think that ancient history is Sublime's first album, and their range reflects that lack of perspective. But Badfish have done their homework and their music reflects a wide variety of influences, from 1970s roots reggae ("Don't Cry," complete with its old-school toasting and dubwise effects) to 1980s dancehall ("Mr. D.J.") and raggamuffin hip-hop ("Soundbwoy Killaz"). The whole album is peppered with exceptional turntablism (note especially the intro to "Whole Heap of Lovin'") and the program is augmented by a few nicely rendered dub versions. All in all, this is a most satisfying reggae release. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.