John Brown's Body | Music | Halifax, Nova Scotia | THE COAST


John Brown's Body
Amplify
(Easy Star)
This oddly dubbed band (named for a 19th-century American abolitionist) came together through a meeting of members from Boston and upstate New York. Singer and co-producer Elliott Martin, who went through throat surgery prior to making this album, brings a classic-sounding voice---a higher tenor carrying passion and urgency to the tracks---to bear on this contemporary reggae outfit, especially uptempo songs such as "Push Some Air" or "Shake the Dice." It sounds like his gig. Pop and hip-hop aspects of the band often outweigh the reggae, which are sometimes relegated to accents or motifs. Adjust expectations.
---Sean Flinn

Comments (0)
Add a Comment