Review:

on 2012-01-14 iamparadox Said:

I remember when I was first exposed to the reggae sound of Rebelution, the Santa Barbara four piece. My best friend had just gotten back from Bonaroo in 2010, and one of the bands that he wouldn't stop raving about was Rebelution. I have likewise been a fan since, seeing them live for the first time last year in 2011. Their brand new album, Peace Of Mind, which is their third, was just released this week. The album has three different versions: the original, the acoustic, and the dub. My review will focus on the main, and will mention the other two later.

The band has been together long enough now that they beginning to get their own groove. Refusing to settle for the moderate attention they have received up to this point, they are carving out a notch for themselves one record and concert at a time. Their large, devoted fan base will be stoked to know that somehow they have achieved the rare feat of releasing brand new material, yet still remaining true to their original sound. According to an interview with lead singer and guitarist Eric Rachmany and The Pier, they had five separate producers, and it was nearly three years in the making. Also note worthy is that Khris Royal from Slightly Stoopid plays saxophone on some of the album.

It starts off with "Sky Is The Limit", which really resembles their characteristic sound. The use of the horns in this upbeat anthem somehow sound more mature than previous attempts. "Comfort Zone", the 2nd song, should be the first single if it isn't already. Here the guys stay true to their roots with a brand new, yet familiar sounding song. "Good Vibes" continues the great, positive energy this entire project was infused with. It features guest Lutan Fyah, one of their favorite dance hall artists out of Jamaica. According to the website Dubside.com, the song was also featured on a copy of the mixtape Yeti Beats in 2011, it might be better known as Book By The Cover. It's an amazing and uplifting song about racism. The next, "Route Around", is a new and different sound for the group. It's a slower song. When The Pier asked Eric about it, he said "One of my favorite songs on the entire album was the one called Route Around. It was a really fun song to write, and to be honest, one of the fastest songs I have ever written. We did it while we were on the road, actually staying in a hotel room." Another stand out song is next, "Meant To Be". The lyrics include the refrain "I feel life is taking over, and it feels like it's meant to be", as the chorus.

The next great song is one about addiction. Khris Royal from Slightly Stoopid plays an instrument called ewi on the album as well, and most notably on Lady In White , which actually has a lot of ewi throughout the track. Eric said he wanted to write a song specifically about addiction, but it wasn't a personal account. When asked, he confessed, "Lady In White is the euphemism for cocaine. Its kind of ironic, because I remember being in Austin, TX, playing at place called Stubbs, and a woman in a completely white dress came up to me and asked if I wanted to do cocaine with her. I laughed at the situation because she was literally the lady I was describing in the song." With it's sinister sound, It's one of the best on the collection. One of my personal favorites is next, "So High". It's exactly the kind of stoner anthem that will become the favorite song for so many. For the non-partakers, they will most likely receive it as a great reggae song.

Before concluding, I wanted to briefly mention the other two records. The acoustic version came about by popular demand, the band said when being interviewed. They first played all acoustic sets as a way to make certain shows for special events like charities receive special attention. That was so successful, their fans have been awaiting an unplugged album. It began leaking online as a special reward to fans about two months before the record was officially released. It is as good, maybe even better, than you would imagine. My hunch is that the dub record grew out of their own personal passion for the music. There was already unofficial YouTube footage that was popular, why not make their own? I enjoyed it, and my hunch is that those who get high will like it more than those who don't.

It has been said that Reggae isn't just music, but a lifestyle. If that's true then Rebelution have truly embraced the lifestyle and their passion is genuinely authentic, and shines throughout their work. This new record is proof positive they are now on another dimension with their talent and vision. This is one of the best new releases of 2012 so far, make sure to take a listen.
Rating: 7/10