Project Description
KATCHAFIRE
“LEGACY”
(Album Review)
Reviewer: Brianna Denmeade
.
KATCHAFIRE // LEGACY
.
KATCHAFIRE have announced their highly anticipated 5th studio album “LEGACY” (Universal NZ / Zojak Worldwide) is officially set for release on Friday 1st June 2018. Made with the support of NZ On Air.
With four previous highly successful studio albums, multiple awards, platinum sales, high-selling singles, and a massive worldwide fanbase, the band has crafted a universal vibe with their sound being built on the foundations of classic roots reggae, with influence from RnB, funk and old-school disco.
The “LEGACY” album is exciting and fresh with messages of love, hope, togetherness, and family; with the 12 songs on this album being recorded in numerous studios around the world from New Zealand and Australia to LA and Hawaii to Jamaica, featuring collaborations with some of reggae’s finest; with the cover art featuring Hawaiian artist Herb Kane’s War Canoes Of The New Zealand Maori.
A collective of musos from Hamilton, Aotearoa (New Zealand), “KATCHAFIRE”, have become a global roots reggae phenomenon. The all Maori Reggae band, bring their pure classic sound to music lovers worldwide, delivering one of the most authentic Reggae shows around today.
KATCHAFIRE hit the road again on their “LEGACY LOVE TODAY TOUR” in the US in June before heading to Australia later in the year with more global dates into 2019 to be announced…
.
“Fyah In Trenches” is a nice nod to the band’s name KATCHAFIRE and it is somewhat of an introduction to the band’s ethos with lyrics like, “The most conscious music”, and “Reggae music keep me…”. The first track has a classic roots reggae sound; smooth tropical beats layered with Jamaican inspired rap. The outro to the song is overpowered by the electric guitar which is a contrast to the rest of the song but adds a modern vibe.
.
Song two is titled “Love Today” and it’s a really cool track that is simple but effective. Drums, trumpet and melodic three-way harmonies create an optimistic love-song where the band sings quirky lyrics like, “If it’s alright can you come and take away my lonely nights.”, and“I’m leanin’ on your love today.” Listening to this song makes me feel like I am laying around on the beach with a cute boy. Reminiscent to my parents Bob Marley and The Wailers CD I heard around the house when I was a kid.
.
“I Can Feel It A Lot” Is the third track of the new KATCHAFIRE album and this is veered more toward the raw roots of reggae than the previous track. The all NZ group of reggae rockers have an authentic reggae sound which is not like anything I have heard in modern music. Toward the end of the third song, it gets interesting with moments of electronic piano, echoing drums and super fresh sax solo. Similar to in track one it adds a modern element to the reggae sound throughout.
.
.
“100” has to be my favourite song of the album so far, it slows right down; a nice blend of reggae and RnB. It is a song about love with super cute lyrics, “I wanted to lick you to tell you I miss you.” and “I wanted to buzz you to tell you we love you.” and is accompanied by stunning vocals. It is a great song for highlighting the vocal skills of the lead singer.
.
The fifth track, “Walk With Me” features Notis Heavyweight Rockaz and it is a much heavier song that sings about love being a weapon to take care of the planet. “One Earth. One People. One Struggle.”, is a line that seems to be a message the band carries throughout their music. Using their music to send positive messages to their audience about their values and beliefs. The bridge rap has a really great reverb sound that gives it a modern-pop feel for a beat or two before returning to the smoother reggae to fade out.
.
The song “Ain’t Gonna Give Up” opens with pianissimo (pp) vocals before the main vocals are introduced. The introduction vocals repeat several times throughout, and a nice surprise during this track is a feature female vocalist, Anuhea. Her segment in the song is strong and brings in the RnB sound once again, she has beautiful vibrato and jazzy tones.
.
“Wasted” is a jiggy little number that brings in a poppy, beach boys like sound to the chorus. The vocals in this song are more melodic than some of the others which involve more reggae rapping; I like the contrast it brings introducing different genre influences throughout songs. I can also hear 1920s jazz trumpets behind the vocals in “Wasted” which adds another layer of fluidity to the sound of LEGACY.
.
KATCHAFIRE // LEGACY “LOVE TODAY” TOUR
.
The first 4-beats trick you into thinking this song is going to be a big-band number until it dives fully back into the roots of reggae once again. “One More Day” has a vibe that feels less upbeat than any of the other songs on the album so far. “Can You Give Me One Day.”, are lyrics that make it feel like a song about a past mistake done to a love now longed for. It is still soothing like the others, but more mellow rather than positive or fun. The saxophone makes a reappearance for a few counts and gives us another jazzy moment.
.
Sultry saxophone and strings introduce the song “Luv Plan”, which is a sexy number with crisp reggae-style rap and mellow vocals. Track 9 is an inspirational song about believing in blessings and believing in love or LUV. The strings come-back for an instrumental, which feels and sounds like some authentic Latino music I have listened to.
.
“Living As 1” is a catchy reggae number with rock influences during the beats when the electric guitar is layered behind the vocals. This track is a lot shorter than the others, so it is a really easy listening track and if you like a bit of classic rock you will enjoy the guitar riffs during the last 30-seconds.
.
The second-last song is titled “Addicted” and the saxophone enters in true reggae style accompanying the cool percussion. “I am addicted in every way. I am addicted to your steez”, is the chorus hook, which is a relatable concept for most. This track could be about anything from a lover, a friend, coffee, cigarettes, materialist possessions; though it is a simple song it is funky and personable.
.
KATCHAFIRE
.
The twelfth and final song on the LEGACY album is titled “Way Beyond” opens with reggae spatting vocals, trumpets and small-snippets of electric guitar. I like the message of this tracks with lyrics like, “Good friends and family are all that you could ever need.” it feels like a bit of advice from the band about life. “The answer my friend is deep within. Now list, love will always win.” this is a powerful track to end the album. I like that the band chose “Way Beyond” over a lighter track because overall it seems like KATCHAFIRE wants to make a difference through their music and their message.
.
What I love about the fifth KATCHAFIRE album LEGACY is that whilst sticking heavily to the reggae roots they also seamlessly blend genres like RnB, Jazz, Pop-rock, Big-Band, disco, funk and Soul throughout only 12-tracks.
This album showcases how incredibly versatile these guys are and I can only imagine what a live show would be like. Follow the links to the KATCHAFIRE socials below to get info on future tour dates and ticket sales.
.
