Active since 1999, the Guyanese band Energy Crew keep on rising. The group has already shared bills with Lucky Dube, Luciano and Morgan Heritage, not to mention their work as a backing band for Prince Koloni. The third album, "No More War", lends credibility to a group little known until now. Besides the prestigious featurings, the rhythm section and the compositions are particularly inspired. The band has what you might call a sense of the riddim. Each instrumental is rich in arrangement and in instrumental timbres, alternating roots, digital, dancehall and dub, and is well exploited by the crew's four singers (Daddy Happy, Ramon, Buju and Genese), all complementary.
The first three tracks hit very hard and are immediately ranked among the album's great successes. Rastafari is my name with Morgan Heritage is formidable in both the production and the vocal parts. The construction is impeccable: simple and dynamic. A pity that the track with Luciano, Mi Krakti, does not benefit from the same production quality.
A fine piece
The themes are chosen from the classics of rasta reggae. Capleton's inspiration is obvious in Daddy Happy, who repeatedly shouts "Blaze, Fire Blaze" while reminding us at times of Big Youth (Jah Jah Burn Them). One will particularly appreciate the well-arranged horn section on No More War, Jah Jah Burn Them and Dub Vibration ft Rico. A few tracks end on a soprano sax solo, like the laid-back Black Woman or the excellent Dub Vibration, which takes us on a journey between the worlds of King Tubby, the Skatalites (even the Specials) and a Lee Perry in top form. Worth noting too is Change Your Mind, which, despite its slightly off-putting intros and outros, leads us into an excellent nu-roots, like the cut with Junior Kelly, Mama Africa , also a fine piece.
The musicians clearly master arrangement and composition, but one question hangs over the last track Pure Vibration with Dean Fraser: why is the bass playing out of tune? It is no doubt a deliberate choice, but given the accuracy and precision of the other compositions, the mystery remains… Even if some tracks are not essential, "No More War" remains a solid album and proves that we will now have to follow Energy Crew more closely.
