| With
a name like Dub Street Rockers I
thought of a classic reggae
instrumental group from Jamaica called
the Brentford Rockers, who sometimes
featured guitarist extraordinaire
Ernest Ranglin. So with all of these
clues, how could not think this was a
classic reggae throwback? Turns out
that's exactly what it is- and a good
one at that. First of all, the music
is not dub in the sense of the modern
echo-laden sounds you might think
of. Nor does it contain a lot of
spacey effects or sounds. Rather, this
is dubwize instrumental reggae played
with authenticity and an affinity for
capturing the vibes of reggae's
earlier days.
"Soul
Winner" is spearheaded by J
Bonner of the little-known southern
California Christian reggae band
"The Vessels". The album
starts out with the title track,
"Soul Winner", which is one
of two tunes which include vocals out
of the ten that are on the album.
Bonner handles the vocals which he
delivers rather flatly with an almost
punk or slacker sound. One thing is
clear- vocals are not the strength of
Dub Street Rockers, but a message is
delivered nonetheless, letting the
listener know where they stand
spiritually. Bonner sings,
No
man need ever be ashamed of being
afraid
For
he may well be ashamed
For
allowing his fears to keep him
From
doing what is right in his heart of
hearts he knows he oughta do...
They
could bruise my face
They
could break my legs
But
Jesus gave me salvation that they
could never take.
While
the vocal isn't much to write home
about, the music is a lazy Studio
One-style rocksteady beat that
combines crisp drums, wah-wah textured
guitar, clavinet and lots of subtle
percussion.
The
second cut is a crucial roots tune
called "Swellheaded", with
has an ominous sounding organ riff and
loads of scratchy and twangy
guitar,one-drop drums, bongos and bits
of patois
mutterings and faded-out horn parts.
The hook is in the riff that
alternates between the organ and
guitar. It's not hard to imagine Peter
Tosh singing over
"Swellheaded".
Up
next is"Black River", which
is an album highlight. The
instrumental mix is similar to that on
the previous cut, but here we have
sweet organ trading licks with gritty
saxophone against a backdrop of
twisted sound effects and a wicked
break in the middle, which features
some nice organ fills.
"Born
In Zion" comes in like the
morning sun with a very catchy
keyboard melody, skanking guitar, some
nice echoes, bongos, percussion and
some strange sound effects. Great
mixing on this track- it is top notch
and deserves a replay!
With
"Lord's Rock", there is an
Augustus Pablo influence with some
nicely played melodica wafting a
pretty melody over subtle wah-wah guitars,
and thunderous drums with some great
echo on the snare drum coming in
periodically. Some subtle
organ-playing also hints at the melody
along with tasteful lead guitar. It's
a perfect combination and one which
makes me think of visiting "the
land of wood and water" -
Jamaica.
More
gritty sax is in mix with the Wilson
Pickett- meets-Curtis Mayfield
in-Kingston sound of "Soul
Hurricane." As we come "In
The Palace" we are treated to a
nice accented organ-driven intro
followed by a mellow and rootsy riddim
that is perfect for relaxtion,
reflection or meditation. This one has
more of a lovers rock feel to it,
perhaps in love for Jah as He has
allowed us to enter in with
thanksgiving in our hearts.
"Road
To Damascus" follows a similar
formula with swirling organ and roots
percussion. A faint organ melody
lazily drifts from the speakers until,
suddenly, we get a rewind and bring it
back
again. Nice effect!
It
should be mentioned that there is
nothing programmed on "Soul
Winner"- it's all played on
vintage instruments. As we head
towards the end of the album, we come
to "Stepping Out Of Babylon"
the second of two vocal tracks. This
time, it's a little easier on the ears
with a more pleasant melody.
We're
gonna step it outta Babylon
In
a twinkling of an eye we'll all be
gone
Cause
we praise the Living and you praise
the dead
On
over, step it one over
The
gift of God is eternal life and you
must kick the bucket if you chuck it.
The
rhythm sounds a bit like a slowed-down
version of Bob Marley's "One
Drop", with a more open sound
than on previous songs. There is a
cool effect with some shouted
call-and-response backing
vocals.
Finally,
we chill out with some dub on
"Dub It Out Of Babylon",
which airs out the rhythm even further
allowing for echoed vocals and
chirping skank guitar popping in and
out.
All
in all, "Soul Winner" is
raw, genuine, vintage-sounding reggae
music that is sure to please lovers of
the classic beats, as well as gain a
few new fans. If you are like me, even
when it comes to instrumental music,
it makes it all the more enjoyable
when you know that it's being played
with faith in and love for Jesus. I
highly recommend picking up "Soul
Winner" from the Dub Street
Rockers to spice up your reggae
collection. |
