Scott Monteith aka Deadbeat hails from Montreal – a universe away from the island of Jamaica from which he so evidently draws his primary influences. The marvels of modern day travel make such boundaries meaningless and it is to this very theme that Montieth has dedicated this album.

This concept is apparent early as Lost Luggage, Melbourne Round Midnight and Night Train to Paris all evoke the bleary-eyed sleeplessness of cross-continental travel. Like the gradual transformation of landscape observed out the window of a speeding train, Monteith patiently builds layer upon layer of colour in his hazy soundscapes. The culmative effect is a deeply contemplative soundtrack for solitary journeys under the cover of darkness.

Refund Me ups the pace considerably, thus providing a timely respite from the lethargic dub of the first trio of tracks. The echoing drums are met with a so-so MC who fails to engage convincingly with his mediocre flow and lyrics. An identical tempo and indistinguishable beat pattern make Where Has My Love Gone seem like a pointless extension of the preceding track. It’s only when the subtle hints of guitar, organ and bass make their presence felt does this track come into its own. True to his style, this is a swelling, gradually evolving number that peaks with emotive energy during its sweeping breakdown.

The remainder of Journeyman’s Annual retreads the sounds and structures of the earlier tracks too closely to deem their inclusion essential. Working from a limited pallette of sounds, Monteith sacrifices variation for cohesion. Monteith redeems himself in the closing minutes of the album with his stellar remix of Saul Williams’ Black Stacy. Here Williams’ poignant wordplay contrasts markedly with the vapid chatter of the other vocalists and compliments Monteith’s production fittingly.

Deadbeat’s unwillingness to throw curveballs ultimately diminishes any tension, as each track gradually unfolds exactly as one expects. Whether this approach is engagingly hypnotic or mind-numbingly dull will depend on largely on one’s attention span and familiarity with a Rizzla. Those willing to join Monteith on his travels are likely to be swept into his distinctive world of dub and electronica.