Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad release culture-rich, defining new album, “Love In Time”
Photo courtesy of Easy Star Records.
New York’s own, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, has been hard at work putting together some new music, pairing up with some unmistakable voices in a more collaborative approach to their craft (something a bit different for the dubby-roots masters).
Love In Time, released today on Easy Star Records, is on all streaming platforms. The group recently released the album’s second single, “Revolution”, racking up almost 90k streams on Spotify alone for the month of March, and for good reason!
After listening to the new album extensively, I can tell you it’s going to be a summertime staple for those needing some worldview-positive, genuine feel-good music with many empowering messages entangled in the hooks, bridges and choruses within.
Included below are a few thoughts and info tid-bits on a handful of songs from the release that I really enjoyed. If you’re reading this, that means the album has been released and I strongly encourage you to check it out in its entirety!
Jumping into the second song (the first single) on the full-length album, “Chants” is one of those empowering songs I mentioned earlier. The sweet sound of the atenteben (a Ghanaian bamboo flute) played by Dela Botri tickles the ears as Jamaica’s Clinton Fearon lends his vocal experience, adding to the many musical layers on this cut. This is a fun, mood-booster with a nod to the power of music during troubling times.
“Lifetimes” is a song you can effortlessly get up and move to, incorporating a very latin flavor to the bouncy reggae backbone reminding you to enjoy the life that's right in front of you, you never know when your beginning may end. I love the upbeat tempo and airy beat, it just feels comfortable in the mind and makes you want to lead someone to the dancefloor!
“Are you gonna win this war, and become the champion of the world?” Adding a soulful R&B flare to the album, GPGDS linked up with talent powerhouse Double Tiger on the track “Champion”, creating a powerful vessel for a strong word track worth taking in. Look around, make a plan, and hold true. The world is a tough place, but you can come out on top! A crispy, bluesy guitar solo carries the tune towards its vocal breakdown outro sequence, capping off a great addition to the LP.
“Keep It Nice (Wah Dah Wah Deh)” is by far my favorite song on this album! I was singing along before the end of the song on the first play, it’s vibe is absolutely contagious and infiltrates the soul. Keeping the collaboration theme on track, Anthony B blesses this track with his warming, infectious voice and energy for a very rootsy texture to the tune. Wah dah, wah deh! I wholeheartedly expect to see the streams hit high numbers on this little flame.
Powerful horns, commanding bass lines and a splash of that South Carolina hot sauce provided by Josh Swain of The Movement – all curated and mixed up by none other than the “Italian Reggae Ambassador” himself, Alberto D'Ascola (you may know him as Alborosie…). “Revolution” is the name of the song and it is FIRE.
The world endlessly turns along with the hands of time. Doesn’t matter how good things seem to be or not, they’ll change, they always do and you can’t go back. Inequalities come to light and troops rally. New norms are created and the paradigm shift prevails. Revolutions are everywhere, and the ‘Dub Squad has captured that essence and packed it into a fiery, powerful three-and-a-half minutes of auditory pleasure.
The guys really showcase the band's full-bodied, wordly sound, embracing the full GPGDs experience more than ever, bringing in outside influence from all over the world with help from the musical camps of Alborosie, Zion I Kings and Danny Kalb.
Other tracks on the album feature more great artists like SKRIBE Da GOD and Blakkamoore rounding out this top-notch creation. Give Love In Time a stream today and add some flavor to your playlist!
By Jeremy Morgan.
