Rob Symeonn ADD

Review

Album Review: Rob Symeonn - Indigenous

02/24/2014

Jamaica’s 1970s roots reggae revolution gave a platform to a particularly uncommercial, otherworldly type of Rastaman who would never have cut through otherwise. Rob Symeonn out of New York is an inheritor of that tradition.

Rob has been recording since the late 90s and has most frequently associated with Easy Star Records – now widely known for their series of crossover cover albums. He’s also done a lot of work with Easy Star associate Victor Ticklah Axelrod and was the voice of their popular dietary tune Pork Eater. His third long-player, Indigenous, is released by Hawaii’s Jah Youth Productions and mostly produced by Sweden’s Jonahgold Goldheart. Goldheart learned studio-craft from late legend Internal Dread, who in turn studied under Dennis Bovell.

Jonahgold specialises in deep singers – past collaborations have included Daweh Congo and Sheyah Mission. He was drawn to Symeonn when he heard him voicing for Jah Youth on his own Indo Riddim and asked for an introduction. This tightly consistent 15 track set is the result.

Symeonn’s soft, delicate singing style comes out of the Pablo Moses, Barry Isaac, Harrison Stafford stable of strange yet compelling cultural voices. While he is not a poetic lyricist like Daweh, he has a very honest, stoical tone that lends credence to his timeless messages of repatriation and anti-materialism while bolstering some of the more pedestrian avenues of the romantic material. There are moments that may trouble the reggae criticism pitch police (but, hey, it’s roots reggae not an audition for The Voice).

Jonahgold’s productions are typically cold, heavily-produced and intricate. Here they draw mainly on the early 80s, when minor key backings were roots and major ones were moving to the new realms of rub a dub dancehall. Jonahgold allowed Symeonn to pick the rhythms – some of which will be familiar from Jonah’s Mooji dub poetry project – and every track feels like it belongs with the rest. Unlike Congo’s Ghetto Skyline this is 100% reggae with no departures into other styles. The exceptions are a sitar on benediction Life Is Precious, tablas on the seductive Night On The Town and bluesy harmonica on Seems Like (over the aforementioned Indo).

Immediate standouts include the anthemic Never Too Late and Day By Day with its clean guitar motif. But the album is a grower with many subtleties: the vinyl needle grab ending to lovers piece Because of You; or the frequent dropping out the drums before a first verse – hinting at Jonahgold’s passion for dub.

Indigenous is not hard and heavy steppers in the Shaka template – nor is it commercial culture as you’d hear in Jamaica. There are no pop hooks – just simple songs written to be hypnotic and beguiling rather than burrow quickly into your ear and outstay their welcome. It’s quizzical, serious, humble music in the mould of Fred Locks and Pablo Moses - the autumnal urban everyday sound of the Rastaman in Babylon.

It’s one of those bread and butter, non-fashion-conscious albums that people who enjoy roots reggae will love even if it might initially strike those who don’t as slightly in second gear. But give it time and its secrets will be revealed.