See-I - Homegrown

Hear The Track Here

As you well know, my musical interests cover a huge range of styles and moods but - like all musicians - I have my favourites; both to play and to listen. Rock, obviously plays a big, big part in it (because that's where I grew my own music) but 1960's pop, soul and r&b played their part too but I have to say that the biggest influence on me - all my musical life - has been the music of the islands: reggae and its various offshoots. I first got a taste for it in the early 1960's and it has been a constant ever since, so much so that a good part of my own output these days is reggae based. So, it's a given then, that out of the piles and piles of emails I get daily (and I do) one featuring a reggae/dub/ska/whatevah artist is going to be an automatic shoo-in.

Weellll, not really, but for sure I'll listen to it over others...

Mind you, the intro of Homegrown (the official track I was sent) was so convincingly rock that it had me having flashbacks and turning the air blue with a thousand wtf's. When the reggae element does kick in, I have no doubt whatever that it floors everyone who hears it because it is awesome. In fact, the whole track is just as good, the blend of rock and reggae is absolutely faultless and this from someone with a lifelong love and respect of both genres. Arthur “Rootz” Steele And Archie “Zeebo” Steele, the two brothers behind this knockout track are a force to be reckoned with for sure, their vocals are exactly what the music needs; energetic, forceful and right-in-your-f******-face. OK, thought I, if this is the calibre we are dealing with, what else is there?

Press Junkie (bless 'em) supplied lots of links, one of which leads to Dub Revolution and you all know that's my favourite D word sooooo...And it does exactly what it says on the tin, just what this reviewer needs because - let's face it - I really don't get much chance to review music like this amongst the rock/alternative/experimental that threatens to drown me. Dub Revolution is really straight-forward style-wise and exactly what you would have expected given the title but the quality of work really makes it stand out, the kind of dub I personally love. There are lots more tracks to choose from on their Myspace page (loved Dinner Of Herb, but I would)...

MUST HAVE unique reggae and I don't get to say that often enough.