Latest releases reviewed

JAH WOBBLE  Mu  Trojan  ****

The road goes on and on for the hardest working post-punk bass player in the business. After last year's I Could Have Been a Contender retrospective neatly swept up his back-pages, and with his touring English Roots band continuing to take him far and wide, Mu sees John "Jah Wobble" Wardle back on dub patrol in the studio. It's a glorious album, rich with vibrant bass, sprawling beats and the kind of idiosyncratic patter that has become a Wobble trademark. Unlike some of his more intricate and indulgent solo runs, though, Mu always adheres to the melodic side of the map, with the funky fringes of Kojak Dub and the shimmering, softly-lit curves of the title track testaments to Wobble's renewed faith in the power of bass. Thanks to producer Mark Lusardi, the span is wide and deep - all the better to appreciate Wobble's unique sound. www.trojanrecords.com

Jim Carroll