Slightly Stoopid sticks to familiar formula on “Top of the World”

With their latest album, entitled “Top of the World”, California-based reggae group Slightly Stoopid offers up 21 polished tracks that are immediately familiar to those who are familiar with the band. The title track, “Top of the World,” starts off the album on a high note, with Miles Doughty’s and Kyle McDonald’s smooth voices floating over a driving drumbeat and simple guitar riff. The smooth flow of songs throughout the album entrance the listener, and it is easy to get lost in the head-bob inducing rhythms.

The album does a good job of showing the wide variety of influences that can be found in Slightly Stoopid’s sound. The tracks “Ska Diddy” and “Underneath the Pressure” have up-tempo, rocksteady beats that hark back to the first-wave ska movement of the 1950s. “Just Thinking,” featuring an excellent verse from Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 fame, throws a liberal dose of funk and hip-hop into the mix, and “Hiphoppablues” has a swampy, blues sound that could be fresh from Baton Rouge.

While it might not bring in new listeners or change the band’s tried and true formula, “Top of the World” is the most refined album that Slightly Stoopid has released to date. The album is a solid addition to their anthology and could easily find its way into a playlist for relaxing after a stressful day.