Saturday, February 4, 2023

What I'm Listening To: ....at this particular point in time

"Mr. Washington" by Glen Washington [Love Injection Production - 2023]


First up today is a selection I alluded to last time as veteran vocalist from out of Clarendon, Mr. Glen Washington, is back in 2023 with a big, brand new album courtesy of Love Injection Production, "Mr. Washington". This set launches pretty much simultaneously alongside "Look To The East", the debut album from Junior Campbell, also on LIP and it, at least presumably, shows that the label just may have a big schedule coming for fans this year (or, at the very least, they've laid all of their impressive cards on the proverbial table in January). What they've done here is a typically quiet winner. "Mr. Washington" is an album full of love songs for the most part (for the 'almost all' part, really) and it's a solid one. Standouts come from the direct middle of the album in 'Perfect Place' and 'Beautiful Woman', but also give a nice listen to the one praising piece here, 'Life' as well as the decent closer, 'Golden Touch'. You know what to expect from Glen Washington, "Mr. Washington" is more of it. 

{Note: Also on vinyl}


'Dem Wicked' by Queen Omega [Tribe 84 Records - 2023]

Just in case you missed out on the wonderful news, legendary Trini vocalist, Queen Omega, is set to deliver "Freedom Legacy" (cannot even type out the name without getting excited) on the 24th of March this year, her first album in a very, VERY long ass time; and while I still have yet seen a tracklist for the release, I'm wondering if her latest single may just make the cut because, as usual, it is damn impressive. 'Dem Wicked' comes via Tribe 84 Records from out of the UK (I was thinking it was the first time I'd heard of them but, after looking them up, I was familiar with a tune they did a few years ago with Earl Sixteen, by the name of 'Rasta Rules' ["Rastafari rules. Jah Jah children control"]) and it is typical brilliance from The Queen. 

"Dem have di face of a man, but di heart of a demon

They can never sit in Yahweh kingdom

DI FRUITS OF DI WICKED IS DESTRUCTION-

MISCHEVIOUSNESS AND CORRUPTION

They look like sheep, but they're dressed in wolf's clothing

Caan tek di light cause we're shining

Di wicked bound to fall, it is the timing

Dis ain't no joke, dis ain't no skin teeth, nah no laugh thing

Vatican is crumbling while we're uniting

Humble inna wi heart and now we're smiling

Pon di battlefield, wi ready and wi striking

Defend di cause, wi stand up for di right thing

DEM WICKED"

"Next Levelution" by Alex TOK [Grillaras Productions + Outta Di Box Records - 2023]

Last summer, Bay-C of Dancehall group, TOK, dropped his sophomore album, "King Bass" (which was actually decent, if I recall correctly) and taking the reins in the new year is his bandmate, Alex, who now delivers what I believe is his debut set, "Next Levelution". I have to say that, while I am not AT ALL a fan of the album's title (it is miserable!), my initial impressions of the actual music on "Next Levelution" are actually quite high. It's kinda fun. Much (most) of that definitely goes to the credit of Alex himself; however when you look at some of the names on join on this album with the awful name it also should come to no surprise. Alaine, Agent Sasco, Ward 21, Mr. Lexx, Future Fambo, Busy Signal [twice] and others all come together to help Alex in making "Next Levelution" quite memorable. The album definitely has... more international 'aspirations', but there is enough actual Dancehall here to make it at least of interest for people who're likely reading this.

"Dubways" by Arise Roots [Ineffable Records - 2023]

I do not know very much, at all, about US (California) based Reggae group, Arise Roots. I don't think we've ever mentioned them on these pages even a single time and I can't even recall ever really digging into their work to any degree. HOWEVER, I have to give a credit to their latest release, "Dubways", which I came across as being stuffed into my recs on Spotify, because it is damn EXCELLENT. A teeny amount of research reveals that the band released "Pathways" a few years back and, as you would suspect, "Dubways" is a dubbed out version of that album. So, if you did listen to "Pathways", perhaps this one will carry even more weight for you than me. As I've said in the past, I've never been the biggest dubhead in the world, but certain times the genre does CATCH me. Coincidentally, the easiest way to get me excited in recent times for Dub has come via the work of the esteemed Zion I Kings and, unbeknownst to me (literally just found it out while doing research on the band), the ZIK were responsible for mixing "Dubways". When I learned that - I was not at all surprised. There is a certain level of quality here which is downright enchanting and, although they (apparently) had no hand in actually constructed the music that I hear, it does ring of the ZIK's handiwork. This album -- over the course of the past week -- has become a very DURABLE backdrop for my everyday life. There is SOMETHING on this one which works in almost every.... you know what?? I currently have a pair of reviews that I'm working on (it's actually more like 5, but a few of them are vaults), then I may be on to Jah Cure, after that - I think I'll review this one. Tell you all about it in a few weeks. 

The Love Taking Over Riddim [Roadblokk Records - 2023]

Next up, also on our radars recently has been this excellent set, courtesy of Roadblokk Records, the Love Taking Over Riddim. This DELIGHTFUL composition features a solid tune from one Ray Isaacs, 'Jamaican Anthem' - it's decent. HOWEVER, also floating around this one are two MAMMOTH contributions from a pair of our favourites, the flaming Anthony B and the unforgettable Naptali, in the riddim's title track and 'Equal Rights & Justice', respectively. The duo (especially RIGHT NOW) immediately caught my attention and I'm thinking that I won't be the only one as, very early in this young year, Roadblokk has dropped a minor GEM of a riddim. Take a listen for yourself and enjoy!

The Brain Wash & Fire Cracker Riddims [Crown Star - 2012 org. 1999-2000]

And finally we go mining for our blast from the past today and we come up with these two beauties of riddims from Crown Star in the early 2000's, the Brain Wash and the Firecracker, respectively. I actually made my way here via listening to a ton of old Sizzla Kalonji (for another review I'm working on) and I ran into a tune by the name of 'Brainwash' that I barely remembered to any degree (I literally had PART of the chorus in my head that was about it). The riddim on that track (which was named after it), on the other hand, was far more familiar to my ears and I would go on to come to the conclusion that the BIG track was probably better known to me as having backed either 'On Two Order' or 'As the Hours Pass By' from Jah Mason & Shepherd and Capleton, respectively. The aforementioned Sizzla also does very well (may just have the best song on the entire riddim, actually) as do the likes of Determine, Bushman, Norris Man and Yami Bolo.

From there, a little bit of subsequent digging would lead me to another creation of Crown Star which has either COMPLETELY faded from my memory or just was never in there in the first place, the GHOULISH Fire Cracker Riddim. There're eight vocal tracks on the Fire Cracker Riddim, THREE of them feature Capleton who probably hits his highpoint on 'Clock Ticking' - an energized version of his aforementioned cut of the Brain Wash Riddim. King Shango also delivers the excellent 'Blaze De Fire' alongside Shepherd who also goes solo in a big way with 'Higher Heights' (that tune is excellent!). Big tunes also come in from veterans Spectacular, Determine and Kulcha Knox, HOWEVER, it is Kalonji again (with no argument this time for me) who puts the Fire Cracker to the sword via the SCALDING 'Bad Man Deh'.

"Seh dem strong when mi know dem weak
Dem buck up inna di lion and get water knees
So him tink seh a babylon him tink it heat
NEVER KNOW SEH I A DI WIND WEH BLOW DI LEAF" 

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