Swagger. That’s what ‘Heavy Weather’ has in heaps. Pure swagger.
Punktastic described the two singles that preceded this record as an ‘intriguing curtain raiser’. Consider that curtain well and truly ripped from the rail. BABYHEAD delivers an album that is jammed with musical richness, diversity and titillation.
A foundation of traditional ska seeped in island cool is built upon with a second wave sound ahead of a hip-hop vibe and some menacing electronic jiggery-pokery. It’s a varied assortment of musical prowess that is better than the sum of its parts. Perhaps against the odds, the variance doesn’t deter from the overall success of each song. This is by no means a muddled attempt at genre-bending.
‘Think Money’ and ‘The Open Road’ are the type of tracks that come to mind when you mention trad ska. ‘A Song For Bradley’ is a mellow number akin to Bedouin Soundclash. ‘The Rhythm’ has instrumental moments that wouldn’t be out of place in a Tarantino soundtrack. ‘Still Babyhead‘ is full of electronic japery and hip-hop stylings, whilst ‘The Duke’ has a terrific brass meltdown. See, it’s all over the place, but most definitely in a good way.
Let’s be honest, the ska tag is going to put a lot of people off. That’s inevitable. But for those willing to take the chance, this is a million miles from that skacore sound that you grew tired of all those years ago. This is a musician’s record. An impressively trippy collusion of sounds and vibes delivered in a manner to complement. It’s vibrant, eclectic and relevant, delivering on a sense of assuredness and pride. Awesome stuff.
ALEX HAMBLETON