Livin Free is the most ambitious project to date from New Hampshire reggae-rock outfit Roots of Creation. Appropriately riffing on their home state’s motto, “Live Free or Die,” the release comes as either an impressive 18-track album or an even more impressive three-album set that features the original studio recordings, plus acoustic and dub/remix versions of most of the tracks. Focusing on the songs themselves, the expansive collection offers up an array of both feel-good rhythms and rhymes, and socially conscious messages, with enough variety in the mix that even the extended tracklist doesn’t get too stale. There’s the “good times with friends” ethos of “Different,” contrasted with the darker riffs and subject matter of “Uplift,” with a healthy dose of R-rated love song with “Oh Lord,” and even some not-so-chill vibes with “Punk RoC.” Jerry Garcia Band keyboardist Melvin Seals adds his flavor to “Struggle,” a introspective rumination on striving for success, and, elsewhere on the album, the RoC boys display a more direct connection to the Grateful Dead with their cover of “Row Jimmy,” which translates the Dead sound surprisingly well to the slightly sped-up reggae template.