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Songs From The Inside Vol II Album Review

10 Jun 2014 // A review by Kate Taylor

There’s more out there in the New Zealand media landscape than what’s on your news feed or your particular pay TV channels… Maori Television is an important part of our media landscape and their creation of musical collaboration documentary, Songs from the Inside is a beautiful time capsule of some our most talented and kind musical artists (Anika Moa, Don McGlashan & Laughton Kora to name three), giving life and freedom through musical expression to some of our nation’s incarcerated.

A delicate content matter at the best of times; the equivalent of the ‘difficult second album’ is released in Songs from the Inside Vol II which the show’s director and producer Julian Arahanga was concerned would be an undertaking to “recapture the same heart, feeling as the first series”; yet he needn’t worry as it certainly has recapturing that same ol magic and built on it.

With the proceeds of the album going to specific charities as nominated by the inmates recording the 14 tracks across Vol II, it’s a feel good album in every sense of the word, with even the expressions of regret and remorse having a burning hope at their core. There’s a wide array of genres to listen through and enjoy; Easy by The Lops is a fun reggae track, easily accessible and sunny in tone, Gangster Love contributed by Abigail is a beautiful take on acoustic Hip Hop, So In Love is a huge, feel-good country roadhouse stomp of a track by Angela, Letter delivered by Kurt is a fantastic slice of Hip Hop MC’ing over some great original beats and there’s some rock on offer with tracks like Look At Me Now by Hoki and Forever Two Worlds by Moni.

A great collection and television show and well worth your time to introspect and enjoy.

 

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