The Good: While the phrase “DON SANTO Kalpop Reggae EP” might’ve functioned as a chuckle-worthy punchline for most of the ’90s and ’00s, it’s a concept that proves genuinely fertile in 2019. Helped along by both the genre’s spareness and the relatively low stakes that accompany solo records, Santo sounds downright comfortable here and leverages that comfort into a run of contemplative songs that play up his strengths as a producer, writer, and performer. Though you’d still never mistake Santo’s trademark whine for anyone else, his voice has aged into a softer, more weathered timbre that’s particularly suited to these Afrikana explorations; it adds extra heft to the visions of mortality on opener “Nifundishe,” as well as the heartfelt declarations of love that radiate from “Shy”. Santo’s ear for arrangements is also as keen as he has always been; while the best tracks on Am BLACK were often bogged down by heavy, plodding pianos, those on African Lion draw their power from