SIZZLA

Crucial Times

By MARTÍN CABALLERO

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Crucial Times, indeed. The world is getting warmer, a Republican picked up the Senate seat Ted Kennedy held for 40-plus years and Leno is back at 11:35pm. In this unstable world, the one thing you can count on is that Sizzla will be riled up enough for another album's worth of righteous teachings. Without being overly political, Crucial Times feeds the youth lessons of self-empowerment and responsibility, as he rails against "trivial things that do not inspire." Despite Sizzla dabbling in just about every style, his reunion with producer Homer Harris provides the cohesive glue for the album, with mixed results. "Jolly Good Time" is up-tempo but prosaic, as is the pillow-soft come-on "Charming." Sizzla needs a fire under his ass to find his best form: See "Foundation" and the dancehall track "Atta Clap" for motivation, then lead single "Precious Gift" to settle your nerves. If you can excuse the fact that Crucial Times is not exactly an all-new album, Sizzla provides enough positive vibes to last you through the rest of the winter.