John Brown’s Body successfully resurrects its progressive reggae in the band’s new album Amplify after the sudden death of bass guitarist Scott Palmer, who lost his six-month fight with cancer in 2006, and the departure of one of its lead singers, Kevin Kinsella. The events brought the band to the edge of breaking up.

The convergence of simple beats and rhythms with the nasally drawl of Elliot Martin, lead singer, creates a hypnotizing blend of sound that obliges the listener to move with the music.

Although John Brown’s Body clearly uses traditional reggae as the base of its musical stylings, the band occasionally dares to tread various genres, from electronica to jazz. However, one of the band’s greatest accomplishments on this album is its foray into rap, which intermingles exceptionally well with the traditional reggae sound.

The first song on the album, “Amplify,” for which the album is titled, has an energetic and upbeat rhythm and creates an interesting off-beat tempo with a combination of piano ‘bangs’ and variety of horns. “Amplify” is probably the best song on the album because its breakdown into modern rap not only sounds incredible but sets a precedent for the rest of the album if not the future of American reggae.

The first half of the album sounds very similar to the first song, with an upbeat, dance rhythm and defined beats and off-beats. However, the second half of the album in which the song “Ghost Notes” appears, which is about the death of Scott Palmer, reveals a darker and more serious side of John Brown’s Body. The sound takes on a darker and more serious tone. The beats and instrumentation become much less defined as lower and more somber notes are played.

The song “Ghost Notes” is incredibly well perfomred. Although the beat and rhythm are slow, the tone is more hopeful, and the lyrics profess a personal healing while promising to never forget. “Ghost Notes” is the climax of this album, where the tragedy of losing a friend meets with the hopeful and mending sound of reggae.

Amplify is a must-have album for any self-described reggae fan. Even those who are not fans of reggae will probably find “Amplify” and “Ghost Notes” would be worth downloading individually on iTunes or Rhapsody.