I wasn't familiar with Jaqee before stumbling across this promo CD, but she's nothing if not intriguing. Apparently this is the fourth album for the Uganda-born, Sweden-based singer. Discogs only seems to list her first album, 2005's "Blaqalixious", which looks to be a pretty dark, introspective, serious neo-soul album. Flash forward to 2009 and her fourth album is titled "Kokoo Girl" (pronounced "cuckoo") and the cover shows her in a schoolgirl outfit shoving a cheesecake in some guy's face, with an "oops" expression on her face. Her two albums in between include a blues-rock album and a tribute to Billie Holiday. This album mixes sassy neo-soul with a heavy reggae and ska influence, to mostly wonderful effect.

The album's production might sound a bit too slick and modern for dedicated fans of oldschool reggae and ska, but it adapts the sounds nicely, incorporating elements of hip-hop, lovers rock, nyabinghi and soca along the way. The tone is generally uplifting and positive, and her personality is sweet, charming and funny. I have to skip over the title track because it's corny as hell, but otherwise, I'm digging this.
7/10 -- Paul Simpson (22 September, 2009)