Releases from the Red Robin label mean one thing: reliable rootsy rub-a-dub, and the label’s second full-length album does not disappoint. Musically Bad, a Jamaica x New Zealand collaboration attributed to Tippa Lee meets the Naram Rhythm Section, features thoughtful lyrics atop ten weighty riddims.
“Draw Mi Out” starts the album off: tough lyrics over a nuanced instrumental, denouncing evil in fine style. “Educate and Teach” pushes the tempo slightly, focusing on sound system knowledge and referencing Tippa Lee’s past works with Rappa Robert.
“Serial Killer” is a catchy cut on a crucial relick, but “Time Hard” is the standout with its confident condemnation of Babylon; it’s a timely call out of “politician with your carnal mind”, while people “can’t buy sugar, and you can’t buy rice”. Our glaring societal inequities sound fresh on Naram’s smooth keyboard work, with the low-end landing just right to emphasize that this heavy hitter is no celebration.
There’s a lot of style shifts within the modern rub-a-dub paradigm, which is clearly a Naram hallmark at this point (a quick perusal through the Red Robin back catalog confirms as much). If you prefer a mellower tip, there’s “Down In The Ghetto” and even the herbalist cut “Chant Sensimilia”. “Culture A Gallop” sits between, elevating the tempo to deliver what is arguably the album’s manifesto: “culture a gallop, we no want hear no slackness; them people dem say dey tired of di madness; culture a gallop, we no want hear no slackness; too much gun talk and too much badness”. Truth!
All the vibes are available in digital and vinyl formats via Bandcamp.
More info:
Red Robin Records Facebook
The Groove Thief
.the future of dub is the present.
Exclusive Reviews + Interviews // Facebook // Mixcloud (Archive) // SoundCloud
Co-Founder: Pomegranate Sounds
Owner/Operator: Pomegranate Hi Fi
Writer: NiceUp
Editor: Global Reggae Charts Magazine
