Search - John Brown's Body :: Amplify

Amplify by JBB - Cutting Edge Dubby Electronica Fusion Roots

M. Litt | East Coast @ 80 mph. USA | 10/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For over a decade, the American band John Brown's Body has continued to refine and improve upon their authentic roots reggae sound with each of their previous five releases. Their new CD `Amplify' contains diverse music that continues to direct this positive vibe in a fresh and exciting direction. The 12 tracks on this release incorporate a myriad of influences ranging from toasting and psychadelia to dancehall, hip-hop and electronica. The instantly recognizable skank of reggae is still prominent throughout most of the tracks, but that usual format is altered, enhanced and cleverly rewoven into a unique sonic hybrid that almost defies categorization.



Elliot Martin, the bands lead singer and front man, possesses a distinctive voice that reveals itself in a multitude of vocalization techniques - powerful intonations and crisp, exact chatting can seamlessly flow into controlled intimacy or combine with his own splendid self-supporting back-up vocals. His voice, blessed with a warm equalized tone, often is displayed utilizing controlled syllabic fluctuations which would make even the most confident verbalist jealous. Mr. Martin is also the catalyst behind the well structured and conscious lyrics and he has shown increased confidence in his song craft that was evident on the 2002 release `Spirits All Around Us` and dominated on the excellent 2005 CD `Pressure Points.`



`Speak of the devil' is a sinister effort built upon a one-drop riddim that warns the listener to be more aware and reconfirms that the righteous shall always prevail regardless of any forms of opposition. Vaughn Benjamin of the group Midnite contributes a patois-intense vocal towards the end of the track, nicely complimenting the concrete solid dub rhythms. `Skyjuice,' perhaps the most imposing track on the release, is resplendent with intricately dense horns and tremendous groove-heavy beats from the always impressive drummer Tommy Benedetti. `Ghost Notes,' infused with a heavy established skanking riff not heard since the days of early Aswad at their finest hour, is a mid-tempo reflective piece that pays due respect to the band's former bass player Scott Palmer, who passed away a few years ago. The lyrics are poignant and display an ardent compassion seldom found in contemporary song writing. " Gave with every note he played, we won't be forgetful. "



While fundamentally faithful to the reggae vibe, John Browns Body creatively weaves rhythms and beats with layered instrumentation that provides a foundation for complex call and response vocals and splendid brass flourishes. The guitar work is tight and circulates amidst a variety of layered keyboard parts that act as a supportive framework throughout the songs. Throughout the entire disc, innovative dub-friendly basslines enjoy enlightened interplay with crisp, bouncy drum beats.



The inclusion of exotic instrumentation such as the kora and violin take the galloping track `So Aware' outside the traditional reggae parameters to a subtle, worldly flavor echoing stylistic integrations used by North African Rai musicians. Another contributing ingredient to the entire John Brown's Body sound are the exception production techniques that meticulously meld the surfeit of rhythms and beats with rich instrumentation, detailed harmonization and an enveloping use of atmosphere. The editing is stellar and the expressive arrangements are complete with unexpected twists. Live soundman and studio producer Jason `Jocko' Randall polishes the bands current creations enhancing the cross pollination of numerous musical rhythmic styles. The result is a new style of music that possesses a vibe always loyal to the mystic, earthly tones of roots reggae while being inventive, groove-heavy and cool.



John Brown's Body have established themselves as perhaps America's most creative and dedicated reggae ensemble. On `Amplify,' the latest incarnation of the band successfully executes a variety of moods that are ambitious and vibrantly experimental. With the addition of new band members, Elliot Martin and Tommy Benedetti have embraced a new found sense of purpose and delivered a collection of compositions slightly ahead of its time. The music and lyrics demand that the listener's brain multitask to appreciate the sophisticated textures and depth of arrangements. However you describe this music: groove music with reggae overtones or dubby electronica fusion roots, the final result is energetic, very original and ultimately impressive.

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Rockin' Forward

Greg Spevack | Anahiem,CA | 10/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a long time JBB fan , I was aware of the regrouping of this band .I was very happy with this cd , a masterpiece of horn driven riddems and positive lyrics . Each track has a different flavor from the soul of " Amplify " to the Nyahbingi of " Be at Peace". This is one of the best albums, I have heard all year . It is a must for any roots reggae fan ."

A Shameful taste of things to come..

Call Me God | Central New Jersey | 11/25/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I'm going to have to break off from the other reviews written here.



I have been listening to John Brown's Body (JBB) for a couple of years now, a really big fan of their sound and performance ever since I saw them live.

From such older classics like "Garden Tree", "Feel" and even to more recent hits like "Resonate" and "Picking Up." These songs range from having funky dub, laid back reggae, and all around feel-good music.



Unfortunately I can't say the same for this latest release from the group.

"Amplify" sounds like an all-to-familiar attempt for the band to go more mainstream to bring in more fans. It's almost as they're trying to hard, with songs like "Amplify," with some joker rapper spitting verses towards the end of the song. A rapper? In Jbb? It sounds as bad as it seems.



On top of this much more mainstream and at some points boring melodies, they also adopt common and overdone vocal lines, evident in "Push some air." Just listen to the first verse, and you'll know what I'm talking about.

But not all the songs are complete garbage. The songs I did enjoy were coincidentally the ones that sounded way too similar to previous classics. This is where "Sky Juice", "Give yourself over", and "Zion triad" fit nicely.

The rest of the songs fit in the void of a combination of genres that just don't work. Examples are "So Aware", which is a failed take of JBB trying to make a love song for teenagers to croon to each other, with the overuse of string instruments. "Be at peace" sounds like it was created for a Disney movie like Little Mermaid, when our two heroes fall in love.



Bashing aside, I would not recommend this album to any JBB fans who enjoy their more classic sound. "Amplify" strays far from the path, infusing more mainstream and gimmick sounding genres.



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