Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Cover Drive- Bajan Style Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Album- Bajan Style

Artist- Cover Drive

Whilst artists from Barbados have produced a lot of music for the world to enjoy, I think if you asked people to name a Barbadian group rather than a solo artist, they would find that difficult. Enter Cover Drive, a Barbadian group with a light pop sound that is aimed to keep you in a good mood and conjure up images of fun on the beach. This album was described as “a beach party in Barbados”, but is this really a record that will get you wanting to go on holiday?

Track 1- Bajan Style (Intro)

Opening the record with a short introduction that is designed to get you anticipating the party and also being welcomed into their Barbadian world, Bajan Style finds lead singer Amanda telling us to dance our troubles away and do it like they do on the well-known summer island, as her and her boys really want to get you in the mood. It works really well as a short and snappy introduction, with Amanda’s vocal performance being nice and sassy and the production having that island percussion that gets you swaying a little.

3.5/5

Track 2- Twilight

The band’s first UK number one, Twilight is a really light and fun, summery pop number that keeps the party atmosphere that began with the first track going with its groovy rhythm and simple pop melodies. Lyrically the song is all about Amanda telling this guy that he makes her feel so good, metaphorically thinking of their time together as this twilight, which means they are in perfect balance. Amanda has such a refreshingly light tone that keeps you wanting to listen to the track and just get caught up in the sweet nature of the message, whilst fellow member T- Ray provides a nice kind of rap/vocal section as the bridge to give a nice male perspective within the song and really hone in on the sense of this being a happy relationship. The production is very simple with the heavy bass beats and tinny percussion that feels quite Barbadian in tone but is also very traditional pop sounding, and so this is just an all-round simple but fun pop song.

4/5

Track 3- Lick Ya Down

Debut single and track number 3 on the album is a fun and attitude driven track that is a bit of a polar opposite of the previous track in terms of the lyrical concept, and although many people may take the title as a suggestive, sexual lyric, it is actually a Barbadian phrase that means to knock someone down. This makes the lyrics have a bit more of a straightforward quality, as Amanda is sick of this guy and is just going to be strong, independent woman and tell him to get lost. The vocals are sassy and punchy with a simple tone that is still nice and vibrant, with the bridge bringing the male perspective in again of how this guy now understands that he has done wrong. Production is a little bit more island influenced in sound with the cool guitar rhythms and clattering percussion that is all light and sassy, with the Barbadian influence also really coming through in the vocal of the chorus.

3.5/5

Track 4- Headphones

Headphones feels a little bit No Doubt influenced in terms of the groovy production, and is another song which is based in the concept of love. This time the lyrical sentiment focuses on the metaphorical concept of this relationship being like music, in which Amanda is just telling her man has her heart and can feel his love through her headphones. It’s not as catchy a rhythm or hook as the previous tracks but keeps the light, summery essence of the group going, with Amanda bringing a vocal that really brings out the island tones of her voice prominently and which gives the song a bit more personality, even if it is dragged down a little by the use of clichés. The production is also nice but familiar, with another clattering drum beat and tinny percussion driven sound that is nice but just a tad samey.

3/5

Track 5- That Girl

When this song first started I thought it was cool as it suggested the song was going to have a little bit of a grittier texture than the previous songs. But when the chorus kicks in we are back to the simple Barbadian production with the heavy drum beats and simple tones that are just meant to get us thinking of the beach, but by this point that is just annoying and too familiar. Amanda also just kind of sings the song here rather than imbuing any sense of personality into the track, and it is a good thing that it’s a short song, cause if it was any longer you would have just been sick of Amanda telling this guy how she can give him love and be the girl for him.

2/5

Track 6- Sparks

This is just a great track because it finally brings a sense of diversity to the record and tones down the simple beach rhythms in favour for a little more of an electronic sound and mid tempo energy why Amanda also really shares vocal duties. The song is more of a duet, and finds Amanda and T Ray singing about the greatness of the other and how when they are together the emotions run high and create this chemistry of sparks. It’s a simple concept that is deliciously conveyed within the hook driven chorus that will stick with you, and the production also elevates the catchiness of the song with the hand clapping beats and smooth synths that give a nice tone to the song. The only issue is the vocals, as both artists’ vocals are Auto Tuned, T Rays more so than Amanda’s, and so this is something that may annoy some listeners, but it can actually sound quite nice and cool rather than being unnecessary.

3.5/5

Track 7- Explode

Things are kept on less of a reggae pop vibe with this track and more straightforward pop with this love song that is lyrically based in the idea of how Amanda has been hit by love from this guy who is like a drug to her, and will just make her lose control. It unashamed lyrical quality is simply very catchy even if it is really clichéd, and this song powerfully shows of Amanda as a vocalist as she sounds really good here, with the bridge showing the power that he voice can have and the layering of her voice giving the song an overall smooth tone. And with a production that is full of clunky drumbeats and catchy guitar rhythms, the band definitely creates a sound that feels like it might explode.

3.5/5

Track 8- Wrongside

Opening with some cool strings and then going into simple pop territory, this track finds lead singer Amanda once again sharing vocal duties, with this track being all about how this relationship has really soured because the guy was looking at the wrong side of the relationship. It is a nice concept but at this point it comes off a bit bland, and the voices of both singers in this track just feel to process and lifeless, with the production also not having enough energy to really excite you.

2/5

Track 9- Can’t Live in a World

Things take more of a lovey dovey, happy tone with a chilled back island vibe, as Amanda sings to her beau of how much she loves him, expressing this powerfully in the chorus through how she can’t live without him, not anywhere in the world. The ‘ba da da da’ hook of the chorus is catchy, and the light vocal tone of Amada is here given more of a lilting tone that makes the song have a sense of purity and a chilled quality. The song is also nice vocally in the way that the singers natural Barbadian accent comes out a little more shaper in certain sections, and this blends well with the laidback island groove of the production, which is a little bit more acoustic and features a great mix of tinny drums and a simple drum backbeat.

3.5/5

Track 10- Hurricane

Like the force of nature that acts as its title, this song kicks the tempo up a bit more and features a cool blend of sounds in the production. The song’s lyrics are based in a lyrical metaphor as Amada is once again a very in love girl who wants her man to love her like a hurricane. The song lacks a little punch in the chorus and the lyrics are a bit too clichéd, but the song works well in terms of the softness of the verses offsetting the fast paced and higher key of the vocals in the chorus, whilst the bridge features a cool rap that offers the male perspective and shows a perfect relationship. The production is easily the best part of this track, as the Barbadian sound of the drums and the simple vibrant energy of the band is sprinkled with a dusty of electro pop grooves that sounds very catchy, and so this track definitely brings things back to form in terms of the vibrancy of the group.

3/5

Track 11- I Know You Too Well

The penultimate track of the album is another upbeat stomper that sees a sharing of vocal duties, and although the use of Auto Tune is a little grating, the song has an infectious, just having fun quality in the vocal performances alongside a little bit of a flirtatious tone. The song lyrically is all about this guy infecting this girl with his love, but the girl simply knows him too well in that he is a bit of a player. The slight venom of the song is subtle and means this can be a track that appeals to people for different reasons, and the electronic tones of the production are really forceful and give the song a fast paced, commercial sound. Out of all the songs on this record I am a little surprised if this wasn’t highly thought of as a potential single at some point.

3.5/5

Track 12- Bajan Style (Outro)

The short outro is simply a repeat of the intro with a slightly more electronic tone, and acts as a nice summery and happy finish to the record that is a final reminder of who Cover Drive are as a band.

3/5

Final Review

Lead vocalist Amanda has spoken of how the group wanted this record to represent who the group are 100%, and the album definitely does that job, with the island rhythms and pop melodies having an infectious quality that is a bit reminiscent of the early work of Rihanna. The record is also strong in that it’s a sound that has taken a little bit of a backseat musically but now is become a stronger sound in the music market. There is also just this great sense of summery fun to be had with this record. However, the problem with this album is that there needs to be more variation, as at times the songs just seem to blur into one, and the vitality of the group isn’t enough to keep you interested. As well as this, some songs just feel lazy lyrically and production wise, and you question why they made the record. A strong debut, but the group do need to do some work for a second record and change things up a bit if they still want to be in the music game.

6/10

Best Track- Twilight

Worst Track- Wrongside

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