Joe Samba aims to make you feel something with latest release, Lifeline
Photo courtesy of LAW Records.
Jeremy Morgan of Highly Decent Photography reviews Joe Samba’s latest album Lifeline.
The soulful reggae rocker from the east coast has recently added a new set of tunes (ten, to be exact) to his already successful musical repertoire. Lifeline is Joe Samba’s third full-length studio album via LAW Records, and it’s quickly becoming a staple in my daily routine (this album has a song for every occasion…).
I’ve been a huge fan of Samba from the early days of his singing career and always look forward to seeing him release new music, interested and invested in the direction of sound he evolves into. After hearing this album, it's crystal clear he marches to the ever-present beat found only in Joe’s head until he lets it out … and the world is a better place when he does! Let’s jump in and see what we got…
The very first song of the ten track album is a powerhouse anthem and a call to action, set to a funk-filled groove that James Brown would have put his stamp on. “Culture War” feels like a message to the masses to drop the hate act and just be a good person, because honestly, it feels soooo much better with waaaay less effort. Now that's how you open an album up!
Need a little encouragement? “Cold Feet” takes the groove down a notch, musically helping you summon the urge to get out there and do the damn thing, despite any hesitations or obstacles your mind puts in front of you. This highly motivational jam is set to a chill-hop style track with a light ticking of the high-hat keeping the beat sharp, with Samba’s smooth lyrical input to smooth it right back out.
Now it’s time for a dose of nostalgia for us old-heads. Everybody has different interpretations of the music they hear, but “Lost Boy” takes me straight back to my middle school years with a sound that I like to describe as “Mighty Mighty Bosstones meets New Found Glory” (ska-mo?) and I LOVE IT.
It’s a special blend of styles and sends so much energy to the youthful, younger me (and I could use some of that nowadays!)
Coming in at lucky number seven, my personal fave, “Surfside”.
Take a step back if you're smart. Samba loads up the ska cannons with double the gunpowder, and uses Jarv like a personal flamethrower to melt your smiling face off. Gritty horns, bangin’-ass drums and aggressive deliveries will light a beach-side fire in you, pronto. Welcome to surfside liiiive!
I usually try to stick to just a few songs to dive into, just to keep reviews from becoming novels, but I want to hit one more. “Home” is highly relatable to the life I currently live, and depicts my exact mental state involving my ambitions, goals and the never-ending journey I endure (and put my wife and kid through) to better my life and the lives of those around me. I have a mess of a brain sometimes, and take on outlandish risks in the name of providing a better life for my family (that would love me no matter the outcome).
It’s a powerful thing when you have an unconditional support group, and you hope they understand that you did it all for a better home, for them, for everyone. On a side note, I would LOVE to hear Fort Worth’s Leon Bridges duo this song with Joe. I’m a Fort Worth native with huge love for Leon, and this song is right up in his wheelhouse of style. Just beautiful.
I told you in the title, Joe Samba aimed to make you feel something with this album, and it damn sure got me! Lifeline has messages and feels all up inside of its ten tracks, smashing genres to absolute pieces and breaking molds.
Buckle-up and put it on repeat, it feels good to have a Lifeline.
By Jeremy Morgan.
