Ironically,
the arrival of Living in the Flood, Horace Andy's new album,
seems to herald the end of an uncharacteristically wet winter
for Southern California. The day the disc arrived in my mail,
the sun came up, and all was once again well in the world. To
be sure, this album was released in plenty of time for summer,
my favorite season of the year for reggae music.
Now, I won't
pretend to be an expert in the genre, having only a few handfuls
of records in my collection, but I do know what I like. And I
definitely like this album. You
may know Andy as the darkly soulful voice on "Angel" from Massive
Attack's masterpiece album, Mezzanine, which is where I
first came to know of his exceptional vocal talent. His career
did not stop or start with that popular trip-hop band, however,
and Andy has much to offer fans of various musical persuasions.
With several
decades of experience in the reggae music scene, Andy has worked
with some of the very best craftsmen in his field (namely producer
Clive Hunt, the legendary producer responsible for landmark albums
by the likes of Jimmy Cliff and the Abyssinians) to bring his
beautifully melancholic songs to life. Andy's voice is high and
pure, classically Jamaican and a wonderfully dark accompaniment
to the generally upbeat music of this album. Flood also
finds Andy working with some nice backing vocalists, both male
and female, who enhance and support his vocals without distracting
or having to carry the songs for him.
Some albums
are best taken as a whole, while others have just a few tracks
that carry them, the rest seeming like hollow filler. Living
in the Flood is of the first variety. I don't find myself
wishing for a certain track to come up, and no one or two songs
necessarily stand out as the top cuts. Instead, the whole album
rolls along on soothing waves of bittersweet bliss, conjuring
up images of a gentle Jamaican life.
In the classic
reggae tradition, Andy's lyrics are part social commentary ("Johnny
Too Bad," "Don't Blame the Children") and part personal reflection
("After All," "Some People"), and include a couple of lovely songs
dedicated to Jah ("My Lord," "Seven Seals"). In the way of love
songs, Andy offers the upbeat "Right Time" and "Girl of My Dreams,"
as well as a poignant song of a troubled relationship, "True Love."
The album's
production is impressive and shines through in all of its unexpected
touches, some of which seem influenced by Andy's work with Massive
Attack. Indeed, one of the more contemporary tracks from the album
is a rendition of Massive Attack member 3D's "Doldrums." It isn't
much of a stretch to imagine this moody midtempo number hitting
the airwaves; it's a near-perfect blend of reggae and electronic
elements, with a very catchy chorus and pleasing backing vocals.
It's noteworthy
to mention, too, that the title track was actually written for
Andy by reggae-punk songster Joe Strummer of the legendary band
the Clash. While not exactly Clash-influenced, this song rocks
just a wee bit harder than the others, and the vocals are even
more than usually haunting in quality. Though it's hard to pick
a definite "hit" track out of the bunch, this one seems to pack
a little more punch than others on the album.
For people
who've only heard Horace Andy's collaboration with Massive Attack,
Living in the Flood offers them a chance to become further
acquainted with Andy's full scope as a vocalist and songwriter.
Newcomers will find themselves anxious to discover what they've
missed from the rest of of his long career, while longtime Andy
fans will simply find in Flood more of what they've come
to expect: the sweetly lilting voice of a reggae legend who always
manages to sound contemporary. If this is what life in the flood
sounds like, let me drown.
Anji Bee | April 11, 2000
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