Roots Reggae is Back - 3/5
For a band who haven’t stepped inside a studio for more than 20 years, Black Roots certainly don’t show it on their upcoming album ‘On The Ground’. They keep it down to earth and basic, true to the roots reggae foundation and sending across a social message as strong as they did in the 1980’s. Well, sort of.
Roots Reggae is a genre you have to grow up with to like (as I have), especially with the opening track “I Believe”, making it clear that for all the progress we've made, for many people life today is just as hard as it's ever been. Surviving the system isn't easy. Second track “Pompous Way” is also concerned with society, but this time with fixing it and reaching out to the next generation rather than labelling them as the problem, but with the whole labelling of roots reggae, this can sound like something drearier than Rage Against The Machine. Another song that sounds like it could have come from the band's first incarnation is “Militancy” sounding like Black Roots since they first started, touching on the theme of slavery, a theme that extends into the aptly titled “Slavery”. There are (thankfully) more upbeat songs with “Long Long Ago” or celebrating Africa with “Oh Mama Africa.” That refer to brilliant lyrics and something that most political bands lack – the talent to have a bit of fun in the making whilst slagging off the system in whatever way possible.
Overall, whatever the message the band are delivering they still do it with great and enjoyable music. The only downside is that reggae has the tendency to drag on, yet once you embrace the love of reggae then this is going to be one album for all reggae lovers to have.
Roots Reggae is a genre you have to grow up with to like (as I have), especially with the opening track “I Believe”, making it clear that for all the progress we've made, for many people life today is just as hard as it's ever been. Surviving the system isn't easy. Second track “Pompous Way” is also concerned with society, but this time with fixing it and reaching out to the next generation rather than labelling them as the problem, but with the whole labelling of roots reggae, this can sound like something drearier than Rage Against The Machine. Another song that sounds like it could have come from the band's first incarnation is “Militancy” sounding like Black Roots since they first started, touching on the theme of slavery, a theme that extends into the aptly titled “Slavery”. There are (thankfully) more upbeat songs with “Long Long Ago” or celebrating Africa with “Oh Mama Africa.” That refer to brilliant lyrics and something that most political bands lack – the talent to have a bit of fun in the making whilst slagging off the system in whatever way possible.
Overall, whatever the message the band are delivering they still do it with great and enjoyable music. The only downside is that reggae has the tendency to drag on, yet once you embrace the love of reggae then this is going to be one album for all reggae lovers to have.