Love the Magician plays keyboard, acoustic guitar, and percussion, throughout this electro-acoustic project of free-flowing yet often heavily conceptual wonder. The album has been a lifetime in the making, and its timeless tones and careful balancing of playfulness and power speaks volumes on behalf of that.
Reggae
Openly a reminder that life is largely unexpected, The Whole Story is a celebration of the messy and hilarious realities that often take us by surprise. It’s also a strong introduction to the style and songwriting of Vermin & the Beachrat – an act with a swiftly expanding repertoire.
The idea is protection and teaching, raising children who can deal with anything in a bright and empowered fashion, despite a darkened world – instil a sense of change and possibility that lasts – and the song naturally gets that kind of positive energy flowing through the space.
Retro-electronic sound-play follows colourful keys that rise and fall, as we’re welcomed by the implied security of a hopeful production. Love the Magician focuses on unity and possibility, by way of scornful and robotic lyrical outpourings, which openly reflect upon the clear gaps and obstacles in societal connection.
Creatively bridging the gap between nostalgic reggae and the contemporary hip hop and alternative pop realms, Jah Sent delivers a five-track EP of originals, which prove as diverse as they are heartfelt and melodically engaging.
Reggae breakthrough Caleb Hart continues to bring catchy songwriting and originality back to the timeless genre. Emancipation is beautiful, an anthemic arrangement with softly passionate vocals, and a lyrical core that inspires and celebrates liberation.
From smooth and unplugged beginnings, through changing paces and catchy flows, Ayana John and Peter Ram carve out an intoxicating lane of good vibes and striking vocals, for the unforgettable Do Bad Remix.
Come And Get Some V2 is a brilliant track – not overly performative but kind of confident and satisfying in its own way. Think Will and The People, Sticky Fingers, Sublime, but with a more relevant kind of indie-pop production and versatility to the lyrical and performative spread.
The deciding factor is not always just my enjoyment of the track, sometimes it helps to note the response of others who hear it playing. My three-year-old son is not easy to please musically, but as I turned this one up loud, he ran into the room dancing, and openly declared it ‘his favourite song’. Strangely enough, it quickly became mine, too.
The song has depth – the verses hold tight to your attention, the delivery is smooth, beautiful to listen to, and the words have poignancy; fusing truth & poetry, honesty & metaphor.
Built around a timeless reggae rhythm and groove, with nostalgic pop vocals layered throughout the arrangement, For One Day is a catchy pop hit that naturally showcases the energy and fluidity of Jermaine’s writing and performance style.
The rest of the That’s life project follows suit in terms of the genre freedom, this Folk-meets-Ska approach to organic and colourful music. Think Sublime with a twist of The Pogues, only here we get stories and sentiments, structural songwriting and musical freshness, that all proves true to the disco partisan approach.