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Review: Jack Foley
KINGSTON, Ontario-based Bedouin Soundclash recently scored a
big breakthrough hit with the single, When The Night Feels
My Song, an endearing alternative cut that sounded more like
the sound of Kingston, Jamaica rather than Canada.
Hot off the back of that success comes their album, Sounding
Amosaic, which continues to explore the band's love for reggae
music in all its forms, as well as 80s two-toned bands such as
The Specials and Toots and The Maytals.
The album kicks off with the single, which is a wise choice,
given that it sets things in motion with a welcome ring of familiarity.
Sadly, what follows lacks the fresh charm of that song, opting
to dig deeper into reggae territory and emerging like the sort
of record that Bob Marley and co would be proud to call their
own.
That's no bad thing if you're a reggae fan, of course, but given
that their appeal has extended towards the leftfield Xfm crowd
(and their type), the album may disappoint as many people as it
impresses.
Taking their name from Israeli producer Badawi’s 1996 album,
Bedouin Soundclash take the notion of culture clash to their music
- something that is reflected in both the music itself and the
name of the album.
Explains vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski: "Where Americans
talk about a melting pot, Canadians like to refer to a mosaic.
A melting pot expresses the idea of assimilation, that no matter
where you come from, you’re an American. Here, we maintain
our original ethnic identity while still mixing with others."
This outlook is best observed during tracks like the sunshine
daze of Gyasi Went Home, with its happy go-lucky guitar
loops, or the leazy dub of Criminal, which is sure to
provoke comparisons with the similarly themed I Shot The Sherriff.
There's a faintly rock-jazz vibe surrounding Rude Boy Don't
Cry that recalls some of The Police's work, while there's
a Caribbean charm to Nothing To Say courtesy of its sing-along
chorus.
But of 13 tracks, you may struggle to find too much to differentiate
them. When The Night Feels My Song was a nice novelty....
but the novelty wears off by the close of the album.
Feature: Find
out more about the Bedouin Soundclash...
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