The acknowledgement of injustice that deepens some of Rebelution’s stories draws on the roots-reggae tradition that inspired the band in the first place. For every hopeful “Count Me In,” there’s a worldly-wise “Counterfeit Love.” For every message of positivity, as in “More Love” (“You’re in a dream, wake up and now gear up/Come on”), there’s a look at the hard edge of history: “Invasion” recounts the plight of the oppressed as Eric sings, “No time for questions/Don’t ask for reasons/Washed of their faith/Thrown in the fire.” “Every song has a story,” the singer explains matter-of-factly. Plus, "Comfort Zone" makes that "try to think of nothing" thing sound so good that any poignancy shoehorned in would really harsh its mellow.The songs on Count Me In show that as they combine ever-youthful energy with a mature perspective. When "Route Around" drives by with its pop ballad style and nylon-string guitar solo, the bar is raised and the horizon is broadened then add a love of nature that's beautifully communicated through "Meant to Be" and Rebelution are much more than a bleach-blond crew stumbling out of a van telling all the "suits" to "chill." Still, they retain enough of that surfer dude mojo to be charming, and while Peace of Mind often leads with its "good vibes," there's a deep impact to be had here and there. As such, this "on top of our game" album doesn't try hard to please, and when a rock-reggae group starts a song with "Woke up this morning" - which happen here - it's dangerously close to clichéd territory, but the enthusiasm, the musical skills, and the cottage industry love poured into this effort overcome the arguable shortcomings. Having combined the Cali-reggae sound of Sublime with a jam band attitude years ago, Rebelution were well into their groove by the time Peace of Mind rolled around, and they had the sizable, loyal fan base to prove it, too.
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