The Black Seeds – Dust and Dirt
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/16/12
Roots Reggae with a bit of funk and other musical stylings. As with their last album, they get props for not trying to fake a patois – but they get dings for using vocals at all… The vocals are ok when there are two of them, as they have interesting harmonic style, but by and large the really fine musicianship is what floats the whole project.
1. 4:02 ***organ chords and slow drumbeat – turns into something deeply Pink Floydy, with maybe a Velvet tinge.
2. 4:44 ***strong midtempo skank with piano tinkles, bit of psychedelic sound to the vocals.
3. 3:42 **afrobeat percussion, bouncy midtempo skank. Don’t like the solo vocals as much as the first two tracks, but the music is cool. Stomping and whooshing at end, for some reason.
4. 5:28 **midtempo, relaxed funky bubble. Interesting vocal harmonies.
5. 4:55 ***really cool swingy downtempo funky skank.
6. 4:15 ***nice percussion – almost like Bow Wow Wow, very funk-tribal. Jazzy keyboards. Instrumental!
7. 4:59 **very slow skank with bit of funky wah wah. Rather adenoidal vocals. Goes quite psychedelic at end.
8. 3:05 ***pretty midtempo bubble. Vocals are dubbed into nigh-oblivion.
9. 3:57 super-jaunty midtempo skank. Rather banal vocals about love.
10. 3:43 **very nice midtempo funky skank with wah wah and syncopation. Would have been a great instrumental track…
11. 4:21 *downtempo skank with a bit of Isaac Hayes feel. Not sure where they’re trying to go with those vocals…
12. 4:22 **slow, dubby-funky skank. Nice dub interlude.
13. 4:11 **big intro, then slow skank with big horns. Kinda marginally Reggae – more alt-pop, I think.