Album Review: Gentleman’s Dub Club beautifully blend reggae, dub and hip hop in “On A Mission”
Photo courtesy of Gentleman’s Dub Club.
Gentleman’s Dub Club beautifully blend reggae, dub and hip hop in “On A Mission”.
I love the UK-based band’s ability to cross between these genres. The album’s storytelling is on point and covers life’s ups and downs while emphasizing the importance only settling for positive vibes.
The band kicks off the album, released by Easy Star Records, with the vibey track, “Sugar Coated Lies”, taking us on a journey of a spicy up and down relationship. The song’s chorus is super catchy and I love the song’s horns. The verse’s hip hop flow is incredible and really grabs your attention wanting to know what happens next!
Hollie Cook’s vocals are lovely in “Play My Games” and the female vs. male perspective on this track gives so much dimension as does the head nodding riddim. The song once again examines new love and would be awesome to catch live!
The fun drifts away in “Gone”, a song about love torn apart, that is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Once again the horns shine as do Jonathan Scratchley’s vocals and ability to express relatable emotions through thoughtful lyrics.
I’m really vibing with Gentleman’s Dub Club collaboration with Sara Lugo in “Long Time”. The song showcases the feeling of connecting with that someone special that you’ve been crushing on for awhile. Turn the heat up on the dance floor with this jam!
“Run For Cover” is another example of the band’s dynamic sound and strong songwriting chops in motion. I really like the song’s bass line, reggae guitar, and Scratchley’s hook.
The band’s track “High Hopes” featuring Eva Lazarus is another stand out and Lazarus delivers big time vocals. The song is a reflection on wasting time on love and looking for an easier path ahead.
We can all relate to being in the “Right Place, Wrong Time” and Gentleman’s Dub Club song brings this emotion to life through a grooving beat. The band truly drops some of the catchiest choruses in the genre!
Gentleman’s Dub Club takes us on a journey of the ups and downs of life and love in “On A Mission” and the album provides a healing energy. These new songs will be super fun to hear during the band’s live sets and absolutely deserve international radio play!
By CB.
