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Daily Download: "This Life Makes Me Wonder," Delroy Wilson

wilsonThis 1967 track comes from "Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller," an album of reggae songs handpicked by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood from the archives of the Trojan record label, which at various times was home to reggae legends like Lee "Scratch" Perry and Desmond Dekker. Most of the album's tracks veer toward the echo-y, dubby end of the reggae spectrum, but "This Life Makes Me Wonder" is one of its poppier, more accessible tunes, as Delroy Wilson's melancholy lyrics are carried along by the bouncy rhythm and soulful backing vocals. Wilson's tale is a tragic one, though: His career faded by the '80s and he struggled with alcoholism that eventually hastened his death in 1995 at the age of 47.

-- David Marchese

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