The son of 1970s vocalist Denroy Morgan, Gramps joined Morgan Heritage in 1990 with brothers Peter, Mojo, Lukes and sister Una. Always & Forever, produced by Kemar McGregor, pays tribute to murdered South African singer Lucky Dube. Power of Prayer sees Gramps and the equally gruff Buju Banton adapt a traditional hymn with surprisingly tender results.
Less successful are the bleak digi-strings on the otherwise nicely rendered break-up song Lonely – it’s the disc’s only real production dud. Lovers material, like the brawny yet gentle Hush and a cover of John Mayer’s Come Back to Bed, maintains Gramps authoritative persona while showing his softer side. Time is a poignant unity-call that turns on an evocative ‘new dawn’ synth motif. Wash the Tears promises an end to pain through divine intervention. The cultural tracks deal mainly with healing and cleansing themes. Whether aimed at people in general or ladies in particular, his uplifting words and big, heartfelt choruses, garnished with ethereal backing vocals and shimmering chime percussion, ensure each message hits home. The album begins with Tosh himself, stating, “My songs are not smiling songs,” but Gramps’ lyrics tend towards the positive in the face of strife. (For volume two he plans to take his love of country further, with a Kenny Rodgers duet.) Mixing one-drop rhythms with the slick arrangements and emotional immediacy of modern gospel, RnB and country, Two Sides of My Heart Volume 1 is, obviously enough, one half of a two-part project.
And, provided you like the poppy end of reggae at which the Morgans reside, it’s a well-crafted, feel-good piece of work. The deep-voiced, unmistakably Peter Tosh-toned Gramps is the first Morgan sibling to release a full-length album since the group Morgan Heritage went on a hiatus in 2008.
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