Skylarking

Horace Andy has one of those voices you can’t unhear. Produced by Coxsone Dodd at the legendary Studio One, Skylarking—a roundup of Andy’s earliest singles packaged as a debut album—captured a particular strain of early '70s reggae: lovers rock with a touch of roots, smooth and pop-friendly but with an eeriness creeping around the edges. It's a balance embodied in Andy’s high, haunting voice. “Skylarking” is an unquestionable classic, but tracks like “Night Owl” and “See a Man’s Face” are at least as good, braiding mellowness with a simmering intensity in a way few reggae artists captured then or since.