Sounding a Mosaic

The fellas from Bedouin Soundclash produce a sonic amalgam composed of equal parts rhythm, melody, and lyrical genius on their new album. They effectively deliver a series of lyrically rich tracks which satisfy their fans' ravenous musical appetite. Their sweet melodies leave once-starved listeners satisfied and searching for more of their "musical crack rock". Pengelly delivers delicious drum beats with a maturity and discipline reminiscent of a tibetan monk. Sinclair's thumping bass confronts the most passive listener and says "rise to the occasion or prepare for a hearty serving of sonic subordination, okay?". Finally, Malinowski's smooth vocals provide a lyrical adhesive like no other. In short, this album will knock you on your arse, place you in a musical chokehold, and then force you to confront many prevalent social issues. Are you ready?

There's no denying that "When the Night Feels My Song" is absolutely catchy, immediately familiar ("Say, is that Paul Simon?"), the type of song that catches your attention each time it plays on the radio. But I fear that some of the reviews here may be overhyped. (Seems the Bedouin Soundclash have some very fervent friends on the Internet, judging from some sites and discussions.) I truly believe the album as a whole doesn't deserve five stars, especially when you compare it to, say, Amadou & Miriam's "Dimanche a Bamako" which came out the same year. This is not to pull a "Canada vs. Senegal" snub, but there is immediately identifiable filler on this album, whereas DaB seems to overflow with ideas and selections (and even runs longer). A good album (three stars) will help sustain a mood once you're already in it. A great album (five stars) is able to pull nearly anybody into the mood it wishes to convey, turning itself into something absolutely universal and not letting go until the album is complete. Here, only three or four songs leap out, including the leadoff track, "Jed Rand" and "Nothing to Say". But people who cherish reggae and dub styles most may find this to be one of the worthy releases of 2005 (It just doesn't beat DaB, truly a five-star album, in my book.) If it's any consolation, Bob Marley is best musically remembered by most people for his "Legend" collection. This gives the Bedouin Soundclash a window of opportunity: record eight albums or so, put the best on a compilation programmed for hot summer days and nights, and see how legendary it becomes (if you will pardon the pun).

unique genre of music.
heard them first at waterloo, when they were relatively new.
a year later, they were playing new years eve in downtown toronto. they're defn going big.

only problem, they're unique style might become repetitive after awhile.