EP Review: New England strikes again with Joe Sambo's grooving new EP "Crazy Little Village"
Photo courtesy of LAW Records.
Our last album review was of Boston heavy-hitters The Elovaters, so it's only fitting we follow it up with a review of the stellar new EP from Salem, New Hampshire's rising star Joe Sambo. Maybe it's snow caused daydreams of the beach, or just something about the deep rooted culture of the northeast; whatever the case may be the reggae artists of New England are putting the region on the map for reggae fans everywhere.
Sambo's new EP "Crazy Little Village" is the follow up to his independently released "The Wrong Impression" which reached #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts in 2019. Joe teamed up with Pepper's LAW records to put out a jammin', head bumpin' sophomore release.
"Crazy Little Village" comes out swinging with the track "Beef". The song begins with Joe showing off his syncopated funky vocal style. The rhythm section comes in halfway through the first verse with the groove meter cranked to 100%, a theme consistent throughout the EP. The drums and bass work together beautifully and are complemented by tasteful hand percussion, giving the song life that allows the guitars, keys, and Sambo's vocal melodies to flow on top with wind in their sails. We recommend checking out the hilarious music video for "Beef". Music videos featuring an introduction before the music kicks in don't always work well, but in this case it's a loaded baked potato served with a delicious 14oz beef ribeye steak.
The second track on the EP is "Create Something", a song that any artist or creative will instantly connect with. The instrumentation of this track is very upbeat, and the choices of using a horn section for various lines throughout the song and tracking with acoustic guitars instead of electrics instill a very happy mood to the music.
In a way the third track "I Love" is the yin to "Create Something's" yang. Once again the rhythm sets a deep groove, but this time the beat is much heavier. Joe's lyrics embody a punk-rock angst with hip hop sentimentalities. The placement of this track as third lends itself well for listening to the EP all the way through.
"Got It All" is the final song on "Crazy Little Village". The tempo drops, horn lines and a harmonized vocal chorus come in, and Joe sings with a style and melody similar to fellow LAW artists Pepper and Kash'd Out. Of all the songs on the EP "Got It All" was the quickest to bring a smile to our face, and brought on images of a warm Florida beach (perhaps influenced by Sambo's current base in Key West, FL).
To check out the Joe Sambo's music and tour schedule go to www.joesambo.com.
“Got It All” by Joe Sambo is the Daily Reggae song of the Day.
By Chris Lawrie.
