Soft-Spoken Grit: The Gentler, More Intimate Sound of Reggae Singer Tarrus Riley on Mecoustic

Reggae powerhouse Tarrus Riley is a force to be reckoned with. A major international figure in the ongoing life of traditional Marley-style roots music, a dedicated Rastafarian, Riley emphasizes the lyrical intimacy of some of his best-loved hits on Mecoustic (Soulbeats; U.S. release: September 25, 2012).

Reframing the rockers, Riley explores his softer, more personal side with R&B-inflected acoustic arrangements. The approach brings out the full scope of Riley’s melodic skill and love of reggae’s tradition of compelling harmonies. Riley’s gritty, soaring voice moves fluidly from crystal-clear falsetto to expressive growl, highlighting the outlines of his well-crafted songs.

But one thing remains the same: Riley’s firm commitment to the message, to his words of encouragement to women and his devotion to the empowerment advocated by thinkers like Marcus Garvey.

“I define myself so I make thought-provoking music about Black consciousness and experiences. I want to open people’s minds and let them think. My music isn’t prejudiced towards color, class, creed or nationality,” Riley told a biographer in a recent interview.

“Everything influences me. Rock, R&B—music influences music. I’m a lover of all melody, whatever the melody is,” said Riley in a 2009 talk with a journalist for The New York Times. These wide-ranging  influences are in full effect on Mecoustic. 

A light jazz touch shines on moving ballads like “Black Mother Pray,” sung in duet with Tarrus’s respected father Jimmy Riley, who made a name for himself singing in tight, seminal reggae groups like The Sensations and The Uniques. Classical guitar and strings enrich Riley’s gentle, fresh take on his hit, “She’s Royal,” a gorgeous tribute to strong and strong-willed women. “System Set” incorporates the youthful poetic exuberance of Cherry Natural, the latest torchbearer in a long line of female reggae spoken word artists in Jamaica.

But even when he’s crooning, even at his quietest and prettiest, Riley keeps a groove and edge to his voice that makes balances out the sweetness. “Marcus Garvey” may sound at first listen like a ballad, but Riley’s insistence and spot-on sense of rhythmic delivery can top any dancehall upstart. 

The reason is clear: From a reggae family, Riley is himself a seasoned veteran of the scene, cutting his first record at the tender age of 15. Known as a young man as “Singy Singy,” because he was always singing, Riley soon rose to prominence for his roots reggae mastery, songs that hold their own against a flood of new, rougher-edged dancehall tracks. 

“I sing for the people,” Riley reflects. “This is the contribution I can make and after I make a song; it isn’t even mine anymore; it belongs to the people.”