Album Review: Mighty Mystic makes reggae heavy as a Giant in his hard-hitting new album
Photo courtesy of Mighty Mystic. Photo credit: David Alves.
Jamaican-born, U.S.-based artist Mighty Mystic has spent his life dedicated to the creation of music. As a kid, he and his brother Stephen began performing at talent shows and quickly garnered a reputation as talented young "reggae rappers". The two had early success with a couple of national hits, which Mighty built upon on his 2010 full album release "Wake Up the World" which received international acclaim. The three albums to follow achieved similar success, with all four charting in the Top 10. As amazing as these LPs are, Daily Reggae got a sneak peek of Mighty Mystic's new album "Giant" to be released on March 18th, and we have to say it just might be his best work yet!
Mighty Mystic, born Kevin Mark Holness, has become known for his brand of music he calls "Hard Roots". In the first track on "Giant" he proves this point and his ability to make reggae music that is HEAVY. This introduction to the album is titled "King Me Now", and kicks off with blazing guitar riffs that could easily fit on some of the best heavy metal albums of the past few decades. Impressive dueling guitar leads transition into a hard-hitting reggae verse, where tight drums and a deep bassline are topped with reggae key patterns and rock guitar leads playing tasteful distorted riffs that complement without distracting. The chorus of "King Me Now" sees the groove of the verse continuing with the addition of big power chords and Mighty letting the power of his voice shine through. As it should, the song ends with a killer guitar solo, leaving us hyped for the rest of the tracks to follow.
The second song on the album, "Far From Jamaica", is the perfect follow up to "King Me Now" as in a way the two are equal opposites. While "King Me Now" is heavy due to its big guitar leads and hard rock sensibilities, "Far From Jamaica" derives its heaviness from a laid-back roots reggae groove that is so deeply in the pocket that you can't help but bang your head. The production of this song is excellent, with key lines, reverb, and delay decisions that put even more weight into the groove. Mighty Mystic teamed up with artists Sizzla and Tyler Loyal to create this jam.
Coming in at the 4th track slot is the title tune "Giant". This song has an upbeat breeziness to you with instrumentation that makes the world seem a little bit sunnier. What shines through strongest on "Giant" is Might Mystic's talent as a songwriter. Love for family, life, and appreciated gratitude permeate the song, and with the quality of this song, we would not be surprised if it gets placement in a TV show or two.
The next tune that grabbed our attention is the reggae love anthem "Ready for a G". The main melody of the song is immensely catchy and works perfectly with the happy chord progression and well-written horn and guitar riffs. "Ready for a G" sits somewhere between reggae, pop, and r&b, and is a testament to the breadth of musical influence Mighty is able to infuse into his music.
The last track we want to highlight is "Elevator". The hip-hop side of Mighty Mystic's style is present in this song that is all about making it to the top. Cool synths and a grooving drum pattern provide the foundation for Mighty to spit his excellent lyrical flow. "Elevator" is extremely danceable and we imagine the crowd response at Mighty Mystic's live shows will be fantastic during this tune. It's got us hyped and motivated ready to take on the day and work our way up to that top-floor penthouse no doubt!
To check out more of Mighty Mystic's music and tour dates go to www.mightymystic.com
"King Me Now" is the Daily Reggae Song of the Day.
By Chris Lawrie.
