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Inland (Kick Save, 2001) This album is proof that you should never judge a book (or in this case, a CD) by its cover. Inland has a classic feel that returns reggae to its golden age, consisting primarily of live-instrument roots with dashes of ska, folk, and Latin and African influences. Its eclectic, dynamic sound gives it a worldly vibe, but, lo and behold, Brent Berry is from . . . Kansas City? Yup, straight from the heartland of America, he catapults his engaging sound, having obviously done his homework learning various musical styles (He has studied drumming since age 12.) in order to create an authenticity that can't be faked (You'll swear that the swinging ska ditty "Hold On" was recorded in 1967 Jamaica.). In this way, he reminds me a bit of fellow American neo-old schoolers John Brown's Body, although Berry throws in more varied sounds. At times, he sounds like JBB (as on "Get Ready"), but at other times he has an up-tempo African reggae (think Lucky Dube) edge (as on "No One Can Chain Me"), while at other times his energetic Latin side takes over (as on "Off of You"), and sometimes he melds the sounds (as on the Afro-Latin music of "Lady Sweetly"). Whatever the style, though, an overriding tropical sensation runs throughout the album, accentuated by plick-pluck acoustic strings that lend a ukulele vibe in a few tracks. Berry even pulls off the Jimmy Buffett-type sound on "Don't Tell 'Em." But it must be emphasized that with the exception of the sore thumb Paul Simon-like folk song "Blue and White" (the only real misstep here), Inland remains true to the reggae genre -- more so than a lot of stuff out there. |
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