The Revealers (not to be confused with Cajun band the Revelers) are probably New Orleans’ longest-running reggae band by now, and this CD was supposed to coincide with a brace of 25th-anniversary gigs  . Here’s hoping they get rescheduled, because most of this stuff cries out to be played live—but meanwhile a disc with a dynamic live sound will have to do.

This disc continues the direction of 2017’s One World, which was the first Revealers album in 15 years. Once again they go for tougher rhythms, making them as much a funk as a reggae band; and they’ve still got a knack for anthemic chorus hooks. What’s new here is that co-singer Felice Guimont has moved up to become a full-fledged front-woman, sharing the vocals equally with founder Chris “DeRoc” DeBose. Her old-school soul approach proves a perfect foil for his raspy reggae style and the lyrics mostly go past the usual Rasta themes and get into sexual politics. The back-and-forth vocals kick life into a few of these tunes, particularly “Understand Me” which catches the middle of an argument: “You say you be tripping, I say you on Ritalin.” 

The male/female harmonies also put a touch of ’60s sunshine pop into “I Know a Place,” and make the closing “Prayer for the World” their first full-fledged gospel track. Another stylistic departure, “Reggae Blues” lives up to its title, with lead guitarist Albert Ventura taking a short but tasty solo. The lyrics maintain the band’s usual positivity but there’s a bit of added fire on the title track, which is more about bringing down Babylon—not a bad idea in this day and age.