Reggae Bubblers

Hills and Valleys (Yapabot, 2005)

*GUEST REVIEW*
The Reggae Bubblers' second album, Hills and Valleys, is a strange album. It's strange because it's good, but it has few of the makings of a good album. The songs are fun, but simple and formulaic. The vocals fit with the music, but often off-key and nonchalant. The lyrics are also not very remarkable and sometimes cheesy. Also, the instrumentation is at times cheesy. But at the same time, the music is completely genuine. Reggae Bubblers are a positive and punchy roots band whose songs sound like, well, bubbling reggae. One drop rhythms courtesy of T-Rock, bouncy keyboards, and straight ahead bass and guitars are graced by Israel Vibration-ish vocals from brothers Cheech and Hayba. They sing about ganja and love a lot, but mostly they touch moral and biblical themes. Often times, the softness of their vibe makes the music sound a bit like kids' reggae, and to a certain extent that's true, but only in so far as it speaks to the child in the reggae listener. So get past the cheesy sounds and simple songs, and try these guys out. You'll probably feel greater harmony by the time that second beat drops. Recommended songs are "Hills and Valleys" (not Buju Banton's song), "Afrika Unite" (not Bob Marley's masterpiece), "Rise Up", "Oh Mother oh Mother," and my personal favorite, "Stress and Strive."

- Trammell Scruggs

Track Listing
1. Life and Its Problems
2. Hills and Valleys
3. Afrika Unite
4. Sensi
5. Where Did Your Loving Go?
6. Rise Up
7. Jah Light
8. Seek and He Shall Find
9. Oh Mother Oh Mother
10.Stress and Strive
11. I Love You
12. Oh Baby Forgive Me
13. Try Try Try My Music
14. Dub Spanking

Livin Up (Reggae Bubblers, 2007)

One of the most prolific acts coming out of the potent Virgin Islands scene, the Reggae Bubblers have nonetheless not achieved the level of notoriety in the US as, say, Midnite. Part of the reason is that the group's style is subdued and humble -- much like Culture, Israel Vibration or the Itals -- lacking the modern edge or hipness that has helped other acts' popularity. Indeed, the Reggae Bubblers have a throwback sound: straightforward, live-instrument roots reggae with traditional harmonies. You'd be hard-pressed to tell that much of their material wasn't recorded in the '70s or '80s (some of it has more of an '80s synth sound). Of course, for most roots fans, this isn't a bad thing at all; fans of Culture who've been starved since Joseph Hill's unfortunate passing might be particularly interested. Livin Up is prototypical roots, full of righteous and cultural messages and heartfelt sufferers tunes like "Wanted Children," "Pain and Misery," "Struggles of Life" and the highlight, "Rastafari." The tone might be a bit glum for some listeners, but the group does manage to throw in a few nice, cheery tunes, like "Good Time," a feel-good party tune with a buoyant African reggae vibe, and "Oh Girl," a chugging love song that even gets jiggy enough to include a little Shaggy-like gutteral chatting. At 16 tracks, Livin Up is a bit longer than most roots reggae albums, leaving room for some mediocre tracks, but roots reggae fans looking for a pure, traditional sound could do a lot worse than this album.

Track Listing
1. Rastafari
2. Wanted Children
3. Ethiopia
4. Struggles of Life
5. St. Croix to Shashamane
6. Tug of War (Tug a War Game)
7. Pain and Misery
8. Don't Insult My Intelligence
9. Tough Get Going
10. What Must I Do
11. Good Time
12. Life and Illusion
13. Oh Girl
14. Life in This World
15. Natty
16. Ethiopian Dub