Pop Music Review : U.K.’s Aswad Hits Its Stride at Age 20

It’s strange to talk about a 20-year-old band hitting its stride, but that was the impression left by Aswad’s impressive set at the House of Blues on Wednesday.

The veteran British band’s strengths lie at opposite ends of the reggae spectrum--romantic “lovers’ rock” songs and an unsurpassed live command of instrumental “dub” reggae. The connecting point has always been the smooth vocal harmonies of the core trio: guitarist Brinsley Forde, bassist Tony Gad and drummer Drummie Zeb.

But Wednesday’s performance reconciled Aswad’s opposing poles far better than before, and showed marked improvement in some previous weak areas--namely songwriting and a theatrical bent that tended toward cold professionalism over emotional warmth.

It was nice to see Aswad break away from its set list to honor a request for Toots & the Maytals’ classic “54-46 Was My Number.”

The House of Blues’ “Help Ever, Hurt Never” motto apparently didn’t apply to Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens--anyone arriving at the scheduled 7:30 p.m. starting time missed the first 20 minutes of the mbqanga pioneers’ hourlong set. But this distraction only temporarily slowed down the South African group’s irresistible groove.

Its performance is virtually a set piece now, but what pieces to have in a set--Mahlathini’s wonder-of-nature voice, riveting songs such as “Kazet,” a deadly backing band and the running sex-role comedy in which Mahlathini vainly tries to impress the three Mahotella Queens with leonine, macho moves.