Becoming A Cliche

Sherwood, Adrian – Becoming a Cliché
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/26/07
Killer dub from a renowned producer, mostly electronic dancehall riddims, but some roots skanking. Inventive and tasty as hell! Everything is excellent, everything is unusual.
FCC (repeated) on track 10, other than that you can’t go wrong!
1. ****starts with slow horns, then uptempo and dramatic dancehall riddim. Lee Scratch Perry toasts with Sherwood’s daughters – fun!
2. ****starts with bit of talking, then great percussion-driven electronic dancehall instrumental dub.
3. ***starts with gunshots and bits of dubbed up toasting, downtempo skank starts after 30 seconds, turns into uptempo jungle riddim. Simple chanted song, disturbing combination of sweetness and war sounds.
4. ***big drumbeats and plainsong chanting intro, then uptempo electronic dancehall.
5. ****wacky noises and electronic beats intro, a bit of Tarzan. Midtempo dancehall riddim with violins and jungle noises, bits of singing by Dennis Bovell. Exotic and extremely cool.
6. ***downtempo intro, then midtempo roots skank, female vocals in French, bit of melodica. Odd panted syncopation in last third or so.
7. ***tasty midtempo skank with big fat horns. Male singing, good song about raising kids.
8. ****nasty sick uptempo dancehall skank with horns. Is this LEGAL?
9. ***singing about pot and random strings, then midtempo electronica, dancehall skank with LOTS of beeps and electronic noises. Something sounds a LOT like a berimbau, but I can’t find it credited…
10. FCC: “rich bitch no shit” at intro (repeated later). ***midtempo electronic dancehall with toasting and preaching. Good song, pity about the FCC.
11. ***big drumbeats, plainsong chanting… midtempo jungle riddim, disturbing lyrics.
12. ****downtempo electronic dancehall skank with melodica and hand drums. Random bits of spoken word and noises and a KILLER riddim.
13. ****another amazing midtempo dancehall riddim, with bits of surf guitar and snaky handdrums.
14. ****midtempo dancehall skank, amazing vocals in crazed Italian.