The Boogie Brown Band is back: after "Heart & Soul", on which he reprised the greatest songs of his career alone and acoustically, Clinton Fearon rejoins his Seattle band, where he has lived since his break with the Gladiators at the end of the 80s. The 10th album from the champion of "proverbial reggae" is the perfect follow-up to "Mi De Yah", released in 2010. We find the same familiar atmosphere, those rather long compositions structured around the bass, and inhabited by the personality of Clinton Fearon, whose positivity and humanity seep through the lyrics.
Born in the hills of St Catherine, Clinton Fearon shares his humble vision, steeped in deep popular common sense: he professes a "simple" life governed by goodness (Goodness), which knows the value of friendship (Talk with a friend). A free life ("Life is a gift, don't be afraid. Take the label off yourselves, there is no price" he sings on Freedom), rid of its temptations. Clinton Fearon's signature can also be read in the use of Jamaican parables and proverbs, which allow him to illustrate his point. Thus Blame Game, which laments a community always blaming one another rather than taking responsibility. Or Long Run Short Catch (the equivalent of "You can run but you can't hide"), which urges caution. The Hunter calls out the hunter who has just lost his gun: "Do you remember when you had no gun? Do you remember that everyone you met was your friend?" His warm voice takes on delicate accents on Wi No Know It, adorned with flute notes. "We don't have the answers to every question, we don't know the solutions to every problem" sings Clinton Fearon, who shows himself uncertain about the future, but always determined.
The thirteen tracks (as many original compositions) are magnificently dressed with horns (trombone, saxophone), strings (piano, clavinet, organ), viola, percussion, flute... "Goodness" is full of those small details that give the measure of the work accomplished, carefully, patiently. A remarkable album, "Goodness" holds a final surprise with a bonus song co-written by the Boogie Brown guitarist Mark Oi. Carried by its magnificent backing vocals and Clinton Fearon's fragile timbre, Shadow steps outside the reggae canons to sit halfway between gospel and blues, and offers a superb conclusion to "Goodness", where everything began.
Pull Up:
Goodness
Blame Game
Shadow
Poor Nana
Wi No Know It
