Yes, yes and yes is my new formula for a thing of beauty. This short 6 song EP is a thing of beauty that brought my senses to an almost orgasmic state. To put this review in perspective I think it is important to understand that I am a massive fan of anything that has a mixture of ska, reggae, punk and rock. This little beauty brought a fantastic mixture of these genres.
The first song Dancehall is how an album should be started, it's in your face, its hot and it makes you want to bust out a groove or two all over your dance floor that seconds as a living room. I really became invested in the sharp reggae sound accompanied by a rasping rock guitar, which continues throughout all 6 songs and adds a dimension to what could have been just another
One Drop Love has a very catchy opening riff, that could grace any summer hot spot around the world, and I’m sure the crowd would become just as immersed as I became. The beauty of this song was its ability to keep me wanting more. Being at the 4 minute mark also gives the listener enough, but not too much so they lose interest.
Fool and Ghetto Love brought a more subtle reggae sound to the album, that allows the listener to fall back into his recliner with a chilled glass of the good stuff and enjoy the summer weather, or strong heat pump depending on the time of year. Good Time Girl the ska influence comes in to play as the band brings the tempo up a little, much to my enjoyment. I found the lead singer's voice very easy to listen to, not ground breaking in any way, but the tone and level compliments the music.
There is no hiding the fact I really like this album, it's punchy, catchy, and just easy to listen to. It's not ground breaking or innovative, but it's slightly different to a lot of ska and reggae sounding bands around
Ghetto Sunrise hail from the city streets of Auckland and play a bombastic fusion of reggae, ska, dubstep and electronica. Ghetto Sunrise are on the cusp of releasing their debut record "One Drop Love". The EP was mastered by Mike Gibson, responsible for the many NZ urban albums including classic reggae records by The Black Seeds, Rhombus through to the killer grooves of the Native Sons. Ghetto Sunrise have been compared to everyone from Sublime and Katchafire but feature heavy bass driven electronic sections reminiscent of early Salmonella Dub mashed together with the latest Dubstep from the UK. Ghetto Sunrise are currently booking their first tour and are set to mash, smash and crash sound systems across the country.