Review of Battle For Seattle Album by Little Roy

Influential and pioneering Jamaican artist Little Roy release the new album 'Battle For Seattle'. Little Roy's career is certainly prolific within reggae music, having worked with great reggae artists such as The Wailers and Lee Scratch Perry, as well as being partly responsible to introducing the Rastafari movement to the world. It's quite fitting that Little Roy chose Kurt Cobain's songs as the cover choices to create 'Battle For Seattle' especially considering Nirvana's significant influence on exposing a way of life to the world as 'grunge'. 'Battle For Seattle' is a cover album choosing a selection of Nirvana tracks changed into a reggae fashion!

Little Roy Battle For Seattle Album

It seems hard to think that tracks created by Nirvana, with the potential atmosphere to hide oneself away and painting the walls black could be converted into sunshine, rainbow vibes that good reggae music creates. However 'Battle For Seattle' really works as a quality album! I guess this is down to the combination of Cobain's quality song writing and Little Roy's vast experience in music. All reggae artists have a great tradition of hard work and the bands chosen musicians are heavyweight! This combined with reggae's rebel attitude means that the change of music style does actually work. Tracks like 'Polly', 'Come As You Are' and 'Lithium' are easily recognisable due the great chorus melodies within the song, all with Little Roy's cool twists expressed in his vocal delivery. But tracks like 'On A Plain' with serious rhythm and harmony delivery, as well as 'Very Ape', really illustrate fantastic covers on this album and add a very cool dimension to these classic songs.

Overall 'Battle For Seattle' is truly brilliant! It could easily appeal to reggae and grunge fans, and a whole host of fans of dub or musicians alike. There's no denying the songs featured on the album are played with passion and a serious musical sophistication that is intoxicating to say the least! What's also cool is that due to the popularity of Nirvana and exposure of those songs, many will feel a familiarity to the sound and could get an insight into reggae music. Little Roy should be very happy with this album and could be a great present for many music lovers. Very cool!

Tareck Ghoneim


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