Roots reggae singer
Richie Spice takes his music to another level with the release of his highly
anticipated sixth album, Soothing Sounds: Acoustic.
Touted as a
collector’s item, this acoustic set is a one-off departure from Spice’s norm,
and, on a broader scale, a departure from the norm in reggae music itself. An acoustic set is no easy feat in reggae, and only a
few artistes of this genre have attempted to offer a full length unplugged set
such as this. However, with the excitement that Soothing Sounds: Acoustics has
aroused, it is likely that we will be getting more albums like this from other
reggae acts in the future.
Interestingly, Richie
Spice and his accomplished team – which includes talented producer Mitchum ‘Khan’
Chin, who doubles as guitarist; bass player Robbie Shakespeare (of Sly and
Robbie fame) Bongo Herman and percussionists Denver Smith – make the production
of an acoustic set look all too easy. The very first single, Free, embodied
with strong lyrical content, haunting melodies and soothing sounds layered over
harsh realities, intrigued the ears of hardened critics and fans alike and set
the tone for Soothing Sounds: Acoustic.
On this album, Spice
meanders through the hills and valley of reggae’s spirituality, boldly
embracing the hard times, denouncing the ‘dirty system’, highlighting the good
times and also speaking eloquently about love and loving. Steering his rich
vocals through previously uncharted waters balanced with a guitar-driven
instrumentation, Spice’s falsetto comes across clean and crisp, and the sounds
are so soothing that even when Spice asks a tough, rhetoric question, the
listener has no choice but to rewind track after track.
A complementary mix of
tested and proven favourites interspersed with new offerings, the 15-track
album transports songs from previous albums and inject them with new and
different life. Among the remakes are A No Me Dat (Trulove); Boom (My Heart);
Youth Dem Cold (Searching); Grooving My Girl (My Girl); All Day All Night (All
Night); Spinning Around (Downside Up) and Rise (Get Up).
Among the stand-out
tracks are, the lead singles Free and Crying, Heng On In Deh, All Night,
Downside Up and Get Up. The final track, Agony, somehow introduces a different
mood in what is otherwise a soothing, soulful, unplugged set.
Soothing Sounds:
Acoustic was released on October 23 on the Tad’s Record imprint.
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