Poet's Life

Former Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong goes it alone on 2007's A POET'S LIFE, and turns in a thoroughly enjoyable (if somewhat surprising) solo effort. Rancid fans may be expecting blazing guitars and punk rock fist-pumping, but therein lies the surprise: A POET'S LIFE is a reggae album through and through. Armstrong revitalizes the long-lived connection between punk and Jamaican music by giving this album a deeply groove-centered, roots-conscious sound (courtesy of backing band the Aggrolites) and turning in a batch of songs that nod to rocksteady and dub. The album isn't without its uneven patches, but overall the songwriting, and especially Armstrong's passionate vocal performances, make it sugar for the ears. There's hardly a trace of punk aggression on the disc (save Armstrong's naturally gruff delivery), but it doesn't detract from the fun bounce and sway of this roots-centric release.