Bedouin Soundclash 'Sounding Amosaic' (B-Unique) Released 03/10/05

Sounding off the clash of cultures that has been the legacy of settlement in the New World and the American Continent, Bedouin Soundclash take their name from the old North-African tribe, and write vignettes of the black experience, black identity and urban realities. Where from they come? Not so sunny Kingston, Ontario up there in Canada. Bedouin are a rhythm-searching band, which for a 3-piece with guitar, bass and drums (ie. limited resources) they manage to cut. Tailgating roots, reggae, calypso, jungle and ragga rhythms with a pared-down sound, Bedouin still jump and no doubt like to get their audiences frisky with motion. The songs are well-woven with the tracks in the main, the lyrics wanting to deliver a message, but it's the 'Rudies' out there that'd get the most from this release.

'When The Night Feels My Song' warms the proceedings - with a jaunty rhythm of strummy acoustic guitar and bass, the kind of warm song that Toots Hibbert used to muster - "Hey beautiful day/ when the night feels my song, I'll be home". 'Shelter' sounds like a Police track, a song about urban life - finding your place in the urban-jungle, knowing who your friends are; themes which continue on 'Living In Jungles', this with a ragga-rhythm and turning your back on unnecessary conflicts. 'Money Worries' speaks of themes universal - lack of dosh, a simplistic song but with a workable calypso-rhythm. Settlers days is the theme for 'Gyasi Went Home' - with more than shades of The Specials 'Do Nothing' at work but with a crass ryhthm guitar repeating-uninspiringly. 'Shadow Of A Man' is an earnest track about lost souls on our urban-streets, living shadows of themselves, no place to rest their heads.

Later, 'Jeb Rand' writes like the champion reggae tunes of old - 'Johnny Too Bad' by The Slickers in particular, but doesn't have the arrangement of hooks or beauty of lyrics to become a classic, but with simple acoustic guitar and vocals about "Jeb Rand you're a wanted man..." - we may yet be proven wrong. Criminality and injustice are themes for 'Criminal' - a law for the rich, a law for the poor - that police-enforcement make mistakes, public wanting arrests, and let's not jump to conclusions.  'Murder On The Midinight Wire' continues the theme of law/outlaw but with opening radio-samples of "time is running out" and a bass-line hook like Talking Heads 'Psycho Killer' -  "...it's a bang blame bang..." - it's rebel-cry. 'Music My Rock' strips things back to what they love best - playing music for others to hear. 'Immigrant Workforce' speaks advisedly,arm around your shoulder - "Join the workforce boy/ if you want some more/ you might find what you're looking for" with jangly guitars and shiny vocal-delivery. 

Bedouin deliver a promising opening album, showing a great love of rhythm. The vocalist enjoys being the front-man and firing the band, but has undoubted limited vocal range. What would help their sound is to strike a fuller band - to fill in all those spaces in-between - to light the brass section, bring in the percussion. Know what I'm saying....