The Strides – Reclamation

It’s a good omen when, upon starting up this third disc by Sydney locals The Strides, an unsuspecting friend remarks ‘I love the Abyssinians!’. Indeed, the opening track Storm Clouds is pitch perfect, classic reggae. Singer Ras Roni’s dusty vibrato floats softly over strident horns, making for the kind of track that, although hearing for the first time, feels familiar as if from childhood. The understated ten-piece continue to navigate deftly through Some o’ Dem’s swinging afrobeat and F.K.D.’s Sly and Robbie dub with authority and relaxation, where they allow plenty of time and space for grooves to be explored. While the tracks continue to move through various permutations of reggae, afrobeat, jazz and even politically charged hip hop with the help of rapper LTL Gzeus on the title track, the production and mixing by Mike Burnham keeps things flowing with an authentic analogue warmth. The tongue-in-cheek vocals by Ras Roni on Fresh Lady keep in line with that reggae authenticity: “you’ve only got two days to prove you’re my baby, it only takes three days to find a fresh lady”. Hard-working Sydney boys with a passion for good reggae, making good reggae – as good as it gets.

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