For those that don't know, Ellwood is a new reggae group featuring members of the Mad Caddies and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. With that pedigree, one would suspect that their debut release Lost in Transition would be at least a solid album. And that's exactly what the listener gets from this group.

The album starts off with "The Deal", a catchy, uptempo reggae song that would easily get a crowd dancing. The rest of the record continues much in the same vein. They do it slow down with "There She Is", which brings to mind the Mad Caddies' "Drinking for 11".

Obviously, it's difficult to talk about this band and not talk about the Mad Caddies. Both lyrically and vocally, Chuck remains consistent with the work he does for the Mad Caddies. Essentially, Lost in Transition is a Mad Caddies album that drops the horn section and focuses more on the keyboard. The album also doesn't contain the frantic energy you may hear in a Caddies song. But none of this is meant to take away from the album.

This debut release makes for a perfect summer album to put in the car, roll down the windows, and go for a drive, enjoying the sunny weather. Ellwood has the reggae sounds you would expect from an Aggrolites or Expendables album. Despite only being nine tracks long, Lost in Transition is a strong contender for the best reggae album released this year.