Naive (label)
10 October 2011 (released)
13 November 2011
Crossing over Funk and poetry with elements of Jazz and Afrobeat and all together a mesmerising and intense set of numbers.
Anthony Joseph has a dark and very recognizable voice with elements of Gil Scott Heron crossed with Benjamin Zephania and the Spasm Band are a collective of superb instrumentalists and vocalists. Add in production by Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics) and the result is rather special.
I’ve been listening toi this constantly for the last month and I haven’t got to the bottom of it yet. Hugely melodic but shot through with different rhythms and some fine poetry telling heartland stories and taking you into his origins and emotions. The playing is exquisite – the sax on ‘Cobra’ taking you deep into the pain and fear of the music but leaving you with a sense of wonderment as well while the drums and percussion all over the album are just sublime.
‘Griot’ is a strong slice of Afrobeat with Joseph’s words spoken over a pounding rhythm and ‘Started Off As A Dancer’ moves into a rhumba beat with huge sax and some great lyrics – just impossible not to dance to. ‘Bullet In The Rocks’ has a soul groove with Joseph singing his lyrics and ‘Money Satan’ almost has a roots reggae feel to it. ‘Generations’ features production from The Specials Jerry Dammers – a tour de force.
All through the album you are hit by beats and great playing be it in a Cuban or voodoo or themed from the heart of Africa but it is as much about Anthony Joseph’s poetry and the two sides are brilliantly conjoined – the music meaningless without his words and the words made more effective and given added strength by the music and the rhythms.
All told, a stunning example of a form that has been ignored for too long – this is the spirit of Beat in a modern setting.
