SUNSHINE BROTHERS – RED ALERT
Fremantle roots reggae outfit Sunshine Brothers have released the album Red Alert which is a wonderful example of sunshine reggae, dub and ska that seems as much inspired by west coast sunsets as it is by Jamaican riddims. The album kick off the with the instrumental Deep Breeze and immediately your shoulders relax, your breathing slows down and you can feel the sun and smell the ocean of a secluded beach. The track The Jamon Song is a lazy ambling reggae number with silly lyrics sung in poor Spanish, which seems as though they were concocted on the spot in a rehearsal room by a group of guys that obviously love to have a laugh. Hideway is a foray into dub territory where the melodica leads the charge but only after the guitar intro with the lengthy King Tubby style delay. The title track Red Alert is a darker and more brooding dub affair with a wailing melodica solo, delay drenched snare hits and dubbed out horns, while the following track The Pint returns us to sunshine territory with an upbeat ska and a call for everybody to sing ‘da da da da’ to the horn melody. With the album Red Alert the Sunshine Brothers aren’t exactly writing rebel music but they have created a fun and smile inducing album that is sure to have you reaching for it the next time you’re having a lazy one.
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