Sounding a Mosaic

I'm roadtripping up to Yellowstone for the next two weeks, so I'll be leaving you with one of my new favorite albums, Bedouin Soundclash's Sounding a Mosaic. Bedouin Soundclash is a reggae-rock outfit from Canada and their second album has been re-released on our favorite SideOneDummy. Buy it here.

Listening to Sounding a Mosaic, however, it's clear that the album's heart lies not in rock 'n' roll, but in reggae. While a slew of other über-hip rock and pop acts dabble in reggae (mostly a bastardized version of ska, which has long since died in its Jamaican homeland), Bedouin Soundclash sounds more like a reggae act dabbling in rock. Not only do they maintain a traditional reggae "stylee" for about 10 of the 15 tracks here, but they also imbue their music with a genuine soulful edge that's lacking in many modern ska hipsters.

From the opening track, the band's vibrant sound reveals a deep appreciation for reggae's roots. "When the Night Feels My Song" is a rollicking good time with a joyous melody that evokes early Jimmy Cliff as performed by Paul Simon. You simply don't hear this type of music much anymore: a frisky, strumming ska anthem that's reason alone to celebrate this album. Not stopping there, though, Bedouin Soundclash manages to follow it up with another ska-rific tune, "Shelter", which melds the Jamaican flavor with a bold '70s funk/rock attitude.

The ease with which the band moves through these sounds is indicative not only of the members' varied upbringings, but also the production of Darryl Jenifer, who had years of experience melding reggae with rock as bassist for the groundbreaking Bad Brains (source).

***Link in comments.

Also- Pirates of the Caribbean. They made Keira Knightley's character much more likeable, made Orlando Bloom less likeable and a lot more boring, brought back my favorite-Norrington :)- and now have Hans Zimmer doing the music instead of poor Klaus so at least there's *almost* an excuse for the music sounding exactly like Gladiator. All thing considered, the movie was at least fun, if long. The two big things at the end (involving two captains- don't want to give anything away) are both predictable, one in that we know what's coming and two in that we already know they've filmed most of the third film so of course so-and-so is going to happen. But it's great fun and good summer watching. If you liked the first you're most likely going to at least enjoy this one.