Release Date : June 13, 2006
Reviewed By: Roy Opochinski

For a generation of music fans whose exposure to reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Legend, its lack of knowledge about the other significant players in the genre might cause it to hit the repeat button on Legend instead of seeking out other talented reggae artists.

One of the newest examples is Elan, whose Together As One is a stunning debut from an artist whose skills were honed when he performed as the Wailers’ frontman from 1997 to 1999. The disc, executive produced by No Doubt’s Tony Kanal, and featuring production from reggae legends, Sly & Robbie, Fatis, Steve “Lenky” Marsden, Tony Kelly, and Cutty Ranks, stays true to reggae’s island rhythms while expanding the sound on some tracks to include contemporary R&B music.

What strikes the listener immediately about the disc is the fact that Kanal seems committed to releasing a true reggae album. When No Doubt bandmate Gwen Stefani appears on “Allnighter,” the result is an organic duet that, if sped up, would be an instant dance floor hit. As it is, it’s a great track.

Then again, the description “great track” can be applied to any of the songs on this disc. Elan’s spirituality (and the social consciousness found in reggae music) is in evidence on songs like “I Wanna Yell,” a biting indictment of economic injustice.

It would be very simple to analyze each track and say why each is significant. Suffice it to say that there are no throwaway tracks on this disc. It is a brilliant disc, a remarkable debut, and – one hopes – the harbinger of things to come from this talented singer who clearly has a long career as a solo artist ahead of him. This is one of the year's best albums.