Bounty Killer - Raise Hell On Hell Boy EP [Payday Music]
First up this week is a piece which I’m pretty sure I did on the last ‘Coming Soon’ post, but it’s recently been released now and is sure to be attracting quite a bit of attention. The one main unifying ‘trend’ of these five tunes is, of course, that they’re all aimed at former Bounty Killer disciple Vybz Kartel. More importantly, however, upon further scrutiny, is the fact that Raise Hell On Hell Boy, at least in my opinion, represents the best sounding version of the Killer that listeners may have heard in years. It’s nearly vintage, old angry ass carnage causing Killer and I LOVE IT! Here’s hoping he can throw eight or ten more with it and deliver his first studio album in eight years, sometime in 2010.
Best Tune: ‘Chatta Box’
Sizzla - Precious Gift EP [VP Records]
Another big name in the EP business this week (although of a certainly more satisfying kind) is Sizzla Kalonji who follows in a recent streak of artists (including Alborosie, Queen Ifrica and himself) as names pushing albums for VP/Greensleeves who are afforded these wonderful pre-album digital EP releases like so. Precious Gift is standing in a few weeks ahead Sizzla’s latest Greensleeeves’ creation Crucial Times, which is the first big album of the year and if you, like me, find it pretty hard waiting, then definitely pick up this three piece appetizer.
Best Tune: ‘Crucial Time’
Blazin’ Tracks - Gear 1 [Truckback Records]
Nice little compilation here from one of my relatively new favourite labels, Truckback Records (and if you like Dancehall, they’re one of your favourites also). Up until now, to my knowledge, Truckback has only been doing single releases, (very) nice EP’s for certain artists and riddim albums (like the WICKED Gearbox Riddim), so Blazin’ Tracks, a fairly broad and general compilation is definitely something new from them. Thankfully it’s a good something new as well. The title features not only royalty from Reggae and Dancehall such as Sizzla Kalonji, Lady Saw and Buju Banton, and also the occasional twist and turn like ‘Hustlin’ a combination featuring Erup and Anthony B and none other than BUNJI GARLIN who stars on the EPIC ‘Wease and Cry’.
Best Tune: ‘The Race’ by Assassin
Solo Banton - Walk Like Rasta [Reality Shock Records]
This one kind of bothered me because I SO much wanted to like it and it was OKAY, but it didn’t really go anywhere, and it’s nineteen tracks long. Solo Banton is an artist who, I couldn’t really tell you where or when I first heard of him, but he’s definitely been stored in the memory banks for awhile now, so when I saw he had an album forthcoming, I was definitely interested and it just so happens that Walk Like Rasta is not only “an album”, but it is the very first from the UK DJ/chanter. He has a very nice and old school type of sound (at times, he sounds like Junior Demus) and, as far as I know, the Banton is a veteran of the industry (just not as an artist), so you can definitely feel his overall experience levels with what he’s doing, he definitely has a nice sense of things and he can flow to a degree. The problem is that, at least on this album, he CLEARLY doesn’t push himself as much as he can. Despite what you’ll hear here, I would venture to say that Solo Banton is quite the inventive artist, but on tunes like ‘Herb Story’ (which plunders the melody of [Baby] Cham’s story of the ghetto variety) and Roots Rock Reggae (which is unfortunately every bit the cliché you would think it might be because of its title), like I said, things (which are interesting), just fail to materialize ultimately.
Best Tune: ‘Walk Like Rasta’
Zahair - Jah Instrument [Free Willy Records/Zojak Worldwide]
If the name Zahair doesn’t quite ring a bell with you, that’s fine. When I first saw this release I actually had to go and check up on the artist before I figured out who he was. If you happen to frequent the output of a label which goes by the name of ‘Free Willy’, then Zahair’s name is one which you might just realize. The very interesting singer has been voicing for the label for quite awhile and now, those sessions have actualized themselves in the form of Jah Instrument, his (to my knowledge) debut album. Zahair is a very ‘bubbly’ type of singer (not quite a chanter in my opinion (at least not usually), but definitely not just your everyday balladeer style of artist) and I’m slowly but surely coming to the realization that he’s also quite the writer as he tackles several VERY popular Reggae topics, but it never sounds quite clichéd or stale in anyway. And of course, working with Free Willy, Zahair is afforded some WONDERFUL old school vibed backdrops also. I’m still working with this one a bit, but maybe you can expect a review at some point this month.
Best Tune: ‘Nothing Comes Easy’
Wake Up: The People Dem Sound [Wake Up Sound]
And lastly this week is another compilation (this one of the mixtape variety). I believe ‘Wake Up’ is actually a sound (DHU) from out of France and what they’ve assembled here is quite impressive. So much so is it attention grabbing and impressive that, despite the fact that there’re a combined SEVEN tunes from two of my least favourite artists, I still had to mention this one. Making up for those two (nope, I’m not even going to tell you who they are) are the likes of Lady Saw, Prince Malachi, Lyricson and a whole heap of talented Frenchies also. (like King Daddy Yod)
Best Tune: ‘Love Another One’ by Lady Saw
No comments:
Post a Comment