I’m a metal head. There’s a direct correlation between how heavy a piece of music is and how much I tend to enjoy it and as a result, I often have little motivation to venture into what some would call more “mainstream” music. So the fact that not only have I just sat through what is essentially a reggae infused hip hop record and (dare I say it?) enjoyed the majority of the tracks on display, is surely a sign of music good enough to defy the boundaries of mere genre.

When he isn’t sitting on UN panels in Geneva or directing critically acclaimed award winning documentaries, Michael Franti releases multimillion selling records. For his latest offering he teams up with his band Spearhead to produce an effortlessly upbeat politically charged collection of songs that not once failed to get put a smile on my face or get my feet tapping.

As a collection, the songs are hugely diverse. Opening track ‘Rude Boys Back In Town’ is an instantly recognizable reggae number, plodding into action at a snails pace without ever losing my attention. A far cry from the second song, ‘A Little Bit Of Riddim’ which launches into an addictively catchy funk beat that is almost reminiscent of the early seventies disco movement. Further down the line is the uncharacteristically moody ‘All I Want Is You’, a dark and brooding reggae anthem that swirls around your head like cigarette smoke, leaving you with tingles down your spine and an odd feeling that the song had a more sinister meaning behind it’s very innocent title. However, little time is given to reflect upon what exactly the song was about as what is arguably the album’s happiest song ‘I Got Love For You’ takes over, lifting your spirits instantly.

Over all ‘All Rebel Rockers’ is more than just an album - it’s a journey. Not knowing what you’re going to get as one track ends and the next track starts is an enjoyment that not many records these days can offer, and when the songs are of such a high calibre, it makes for thoroughly refreshing listening. It’s difficult to not sound like I’m being commissioned to sell this album when writing this review, but ‘All Rebel Rockers’ is honestly an amazing hip hop album and regardless of what your musical prepherences are, I demand you don’t let it go unheard. And that’s coming from a guy who normally likes his music screamed at him, literally.