Reggae music is often associated with hazy, relaxed days on a beach. The trickling feel-good vibe is certainly emphasized by some of the genre’s more popular artists, such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. But when reggae is infused into other more rock-infused styles, its incorporation adds a dynamic emotional element — at least when done well, as is the case with London-based funk/rock/reggae quartet Mangoseed. Reggae is still apparent in some slick guitar movements, tropical percussion, and occasionally within the fierce vocals of Nicholai La Barrie, but it’s impossible to singularly classify Mangoseed in a stylistic sense. As their eclectic and epic track “Careful shows”, their stylistic aim arises no other comparisons.
Mangoseed’s “Careful”, off their new album Basquiat (out May 22nd), is all over in the place stylistically, and in a good way. Warbly synth bursts inject doses of club-bound electronica, while the clashing of reggae guitars with hard-rock counterparts around the two-minute mark provides a stark yet successful stylistic comparison. The reggae returns at the three-minute mark, but not before some other stylistic injections about a half-minute later. It exemplifies the navigational nature of “Careful”, a powerful track that serves as a fine example of Mangoseed’s idiosyncratic energy. “Brix-Tone” embraces the reggae side more, but in similarly ambitious form. It’s yet another great track off the upcoming Basquiat. Check out the track’s music video below:
Good vibes dread. Do yuh ting hoss.