Geffery Morgan…

With 1985’s Geffery Morgan, UB40’s sound got crisper (some might say stiffer), brighter, and more digital. Synthesized drums and electronic keyboards are front and center, but the band’s lyrical concerns remain unchanged: social oppression (“Riddle Me,” “As Always You We’re Wrong Again”), the despair of the underclass (“The Pillow”), and the joys of reggae music itself (“D-U-B”). As always, Ali Campbell’s reedy tenor voice delivers thoughtfully outraged sentiments couched in pleasant melodies; and as always, the grooves are powerful even if less organic-sounding than had been the case in the past (and would be again in the future).