The Eternals

Rawar Style

(Aesthetics, 2004)

Half of these folks used to be Trenchmouth: Singer, Damon Locks and bassist, Wayne Montana.  So the idea to fuse every musical style known to man began for these fellows in the early 90’s.  Since their first full length showed up towards the end of 2000, The Eternals have crafted an advancement of what Calvin Johnson set out to do with the Dub Narcotic Sound System during the mid-90s.  Every track on Rawar Style stands out for some reason.  But on “Silhouette”, The Eternals inadvertently create the best hip-hop beat of 2004. A nice little moment of simple instrumentation turns into a whole song.  The music really doesn’t vary too much, the production kicks up a little but it all ends up staying static with Damon Locks ruminating in one tone over the whole affair.  Locks’ most intriguing vocalization takes place during “This is Megaside”. After a brief flight of production dubitry, the drums kick off with a faintly jazzy fill, which repeats for the first half of the track.  The creeping bass of Montana comes in occupanied by more gadgetry-fueled production.   “Darkness lives on every block when I am on the way, way”, chants Locks, suggesting the mean genius of The Eternals.  No track disappoints seeing as something unexpected occurs about every two minutes.  I don’t know if this is groundbreaking, but it surely isn’t grounded in a single musical idiom.  Send them your money now.

V.A.

The Bunny Lee Rocksteady Years

(Moll-Selekta, 2005)

Compilations can either be a hellish nightmare or an indispensable learning device.  The Bunny Lee Rocksteady Years is the latter.  The compilation, from what’s shaping up to be a very important reissue label, covers production from 1967 through 1968 by a man named Bunny Lee.  If the name isn’t all that familiar, it’s ok, although he did apparently create the flying cymbal sound that you can hear on a number of Sly and Robbie records.  Regardless of his fame, the sound quality is a bit scattered.  The highs go up and down, but then again the original recordings of these Jamaican tracks are about forty years old.  The compilation, while consisting of love songs, is organized in no particular order.  It does seem though that the compiler of these tracks wanted to feature The Sensations, Glen Adams and Errol Dunkley.  The Sensations, who counted Cornell Campbell and Johnny Osborne as members at one time or another, give up four tracks, the best and most groove-laden is “Right on Time”.  Some may be familiar with Glen Adams from his keyboard playing with The Upsetters.  His three vocal tracks on this comp, the most pleasing being “Hold Down Miss Winey”, all are adequate but, not on par with his instrumental work.  Finally, Errol Dunkley.  This man turns in the most satisfying track on this slab with “King and Queen”.  Hearing this man now reassures me that there are still so many undiscovered masters of Jamaican music that I won’t ever tire of the sound.