Sounding A Mosaic

06/08/2005 3:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Rob O'Connor

You can’t be faulted for never considering Canada as a viable place to find a legitimate reggae-influenced group. After all, the great white north isn’t known for its soothing Caribbean breezes. But that hasn’t stopped Bedouin Soundclash from holing up in a Montreal recording studio with Darryl Jenifer of Washington DC’s Bad Brains and putting together this convincing collection of dub-influenced grooves. Eon Sinclair’s bass locks in perfect step with Pat Pengelly’s drums to form the perfect relaxed backdrop for Jay Malinowski’s clean, restrained guitar. Bedouin Soundclash never attempt to overwhelm the listener. They prefer to leave plenty of space, creating more with less, their minimalist surfaces drawing direct attention to each distinctive element. Most of the attention inevitably falls onto Malinowski’s vocals, which carry a yearning cry that adds an extra empathetic twist to his tales of human struggle. Low-key yet intense, Sounding A Mosaic is a slow burn and quiet stunner that proves Canadian reggae has more than a snowball’s chance in Jamaica.