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Mishka (Epic, 1999) Methinks Mishka has listened to Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" and "Time Will Tell" one too many times. His entire debut album carries that same subdued, acoustic guitar-driven sound which, combined with his heavily Marley-influenced vocals, make for a nice yet derivative set. At their best, Mishka's songs -- like "Happy," "Lonely," and "Bring a Man Down" -- are hypnotic and compelling in their simplicity. He crafts "hummable" melodies, and his singing is heartfelt. There is a folk-like (and in the case of "One True," blues-like) edge running through Mishka, as only "Lonely" has what you'd consider a typical hiccup-beat reggae rhythm. The rest are dominated by Mishka's acoustic guitar, with light percussion, bass, organ, and/or even harmonica thrown in here and there. His mix of musical styles is certainly a result of his upbringing, being born in Bermuda to Canadian parents who traveled throughout the Caribbean during his childhood. Unfortunately, you can only take so much of his sound before you start to lose consciousness. By the end of the album, the tracks start to induce narcolepsy, as the final 3 tracks make me envision open mike night at the coffeehouse. Still, Mishka gives a nice effort here, and he should have a future in reggae, though he may want to add some edge to his "unplugged" reggae. |
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Track Listing |
Above the Bones (j.k. livin, 2009)
Singer-songwriter Mishka, seemingly unconcerned with the (ironically) breakneck pace of reggae releases, returns with just his third album in 10 years. His sound hasn't changed drastically over the past decade, but Above the Bones thankfully has a bit more of an edge than his debut, incorporating one-drop reggae rhythms in several tracks -- and even a DJ chatting bridge on "Train Again"! That said, the album is still very, very laid-back, as he certainly hasn't abandoned his acoustic guitar sound. In fact, about half of the album could be classified as folk/country rather than reggae. As scary as that might sound to reggae fans, Mishka's evocative vocals and supple melodies pull off tunes like "Coastline Journey," "Some Paths" and the title track. His voice has a reggae lilt that keeps us tethered to the reggae realm even if the music ventures elsewhere, but he smartly avoids the "Marley clone" crutch he used on his first album. The album peters out a bit at the end, as four of the last five tracks pretty much abandon reggae altogether, but overall Above the Bones is enjoyably tranquil and meditative, yet rarely dull. It's a great summer chill-out album. Hopefully it won't take five years for the next Mishka album.
| Track Listing 1. Higher Heights 2. Train Again 3. Above the Bones 4. My Love Goes With You 5. Coastline Journey 6. 3rd Eye Vision 7. Mountains Meet the Sea 8. Long Road 9. Some Paths 10. Peace and Love 11. Guy With a Guitar |
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