Bunny Rugs – Time

You may know Bunny Rugs as the lead singer of the Reggae ambassadors, Third World Band, where his distinctive vocals have long been a vital part of their sound.

Born William Clark in Mandeville, Jamaica, on February 6th, Bunny moved to downtown Kingston where he was raised. His grandmother gave him the nickname “Bunny” because, as she put it, he liked to “jump around like a damn rabbit.”

Singing from a young age, Bunny Rugs has gone on to create hit songs both with bands and as a solo artist, blessing Reggae fans around the world for decades. It is also interesting to know that for two years Bunny Rugs was the lead singer of Inner Circle before Jacob Miller.

Alongside his work with Third World Band, that alone forms part of an incredible musical history and makes Bunny Rugs clearly a veteran artist who has contributed greatly to the progression of Reggae music.

Rugs has previously released three solo albums: To Love Somebody, a Lee “Scratch” Perry production, What A World and I’m Sure.

His latest release, Time, really is a work of art. The rich, clear and velvet-like voice of Bunny Rugs delivers messages drawn from life experience, and they are captured extremely well throughout the album.

After having the privilege of witnessing Bunny singing live in the Pauzeradio studio, I was excited to sit down and properly listen to Time.

The album begins with the powerful Just Can’t Deny, which immediately gives us a good example of the quality to come. Bunny starts as he means to go on.

The song has solid, well-thought-out lyrics and is also very well produced. His vocals are sweet and flowing, sitting naturally over an upbeat live Reggae riddim.

Uplifted by the opening track, I moved on to Heaven Sent, Dat Feeling. Straight away we hear a heartfelt and convincing vocal performance. This is a strong, penetrating love song built over a musical Lovers-style riddim that simply flows like water.

You’re My Everything keeps us moving through the Lovers side of the album, although with a slightly softer and more musical feel. Once again, Bunny’s warm vocals sound as though they are coming directly from the heart, drawing the listener in.

Neva Gonna Give Up stays with the softer riddims, but like much of this album it has a very musical feel and gives Bunny space to demonstrate his vocal range. Catchy hooks and positive, uplifting lyrical content make this another sure-fire tune.

Kurfew brings us an important message about events that took place in Jamaica in 2010, when a curfew was imposed during the search for Christopher “Dudus” Coke and lives were lost during the unrest.

The riddim is laid-back but carries an element of suspense, driving the message home while remaining consistent with the musical character of the album. It creates exactly the right atmosphere for the lyrical content to remain in your head.

It’s Time is possibly my favourite song from the album.

There is some Auto-Tune used in places and, as regular listeners and readers will know, I am not generally a fan of Auto-Tune. Here, however, the balance feels right and the effect actually adds to the overall power of the track.

The lyrical message reassures us that it is okay to move forward and learn from the lessons and experiences life puts in front of us. Bunny’s vocals sit perfectly over a bouncing riddim that glides through the song.

Every time I play this tune I find myself pressing repeat. There is real power not only in the vocal performance but in the words themselves, and I can see this being an uplifting song for many listeners.

We’ve Got The Formula takes the pace back down and returns to the theme of love that runs strongly through the album. It begins slowly before developing into a well-constructed track, with beautiful harmonies adding to its message of true love.

Settling Down brings a classic old-school style riddim with consistently strong vocals. It is not one of my personal favourites from the album because I feel the riddim sits slightly too quietly in the mix. It is not a major issue, but it stood out to my ears.

Even with that criticism, Time continues to ooze quality both lyrically and in its production.

The next song, Solutions, has a cool, mellow introduction that is soothing to the ear and musically clever. Real musicianship runs throughout this album, and this song is no exception.

It is a steady, mysterious and emotional piece of music. Bunny’s vocal performance carries so much heart that you can genuinely feel the struggle within the story.

The riddim is extremely tight, and at around 2:35 there is an instrumental section that pulls you right into the music. It is one of those moments that makes the hairs on your arms stand up as the lyrics and instrumentation come together.

Thinking Bout You raises the pace slightly and has a noticeably different vocal sound. Even though the recording has a different character, it does not take away from the overall flavour of the album.

The production remains strong. I personally would have liked the vocals to be a little clearer in places, but they are certainly not difficult to understand, and the message still comes through.

As with almost every track I have heard so far, the choice of riddim is spot on, and I believe riddim selection can make or break the overall quality of an album.

Love Is Blind, voiced on the Tune In riddim, was digitally released in 2011 and has been a regular feature on the Unique Reggae Mix Show for years.

It is also the tune that introduced me to Bunny Rugs as a solo artist back in 2007, rather than solely as the singer from Third World Band.

Simply put, this is a massive tune.

It always receives a strong response both on the radio and in the dance. Smooth, silky vocals flow rhythmically alongside the riddim while exploring the idea that love is blind. It is a must-listen tune and a must-play for any Reggae radio selecta.

What Kinda Man is another love song, helping balance the Roots and Lovers sides of the album. I think it is particularly well placed in the track order.

The laid-back riddim gives Bunny plenty of space to demonstrate his vocal range, accompanied by warm female harmonies and backing vocals. The song takes us on another journey through love, and once again the performance feels as though it comes directly from personal experience.

Hit after hit is being described here, and Bed Of Roses keeps the album moving forward.

This one goes out to anyone working towards a dream, ambition or goal. It is the kind of tune that can give strength to the person listening.

Bunny’s lyrics are driving but also grounded in truth, right down to the final word. The progressive Roots riddim includes another short instrumental passage, adding even more heart and soul while giving us a moment to reflect on the lyrical message.

It is refreshing to hear an artist working with real musicians and instruments rather than relying completely on computer-generated sounds.

Don’t Give Up keeps the journey moving at exactly the right pace. The song drops straight into its uplifting message, with the title telling you immediately what it is about.

The hooks and chorus are extremely catchy, while the riddim complements Bunny’s vocals perfectly. It is fresh to the ear, positive in its message and driven by what I think is one of the strongest themes an album can have: music with a message.

The final song rounding off Bunny Rugs’ Time is the beautiful Land We Love – Jamaica.

What a way to finish the album.

From the first note, the song captures the sunshine and spirit of Jamaica through music. The vocals are deep and warm, although to my ears they sit slightly too quietly in the mix. I would have liked them a fraction louder, sitting more on top of the riddim rather than within it.

That aside, it is still a very good song, with a broad musical range both vocally and instrumentally that reflects the quality heard throughout Time.

My top five songs from the album are:

1. It’s Time

2. Kurfew

3. Don’t Give Up

4. Neva Gonna Give Up

5. Bed Of Roses

Summarising Time is actually quite straightforward.

You can hear that a great deal of time has gone into creating this album, not only in the production but also in the lyrical content and vocal delivery.

I love hearing real, live instruments on an album, and Time achieves a strong balance between musicianship and vocals while delivering messages from the heart and soul with genuine feeling.

Whether you are already a Third World Band fan or somebody discovering Bunny Rugs for the first time, there is plenty here to connect with.

The combination of Roots and Lovers takes the listener on a strong musical journey, and the track placement across the CD works extremely well.

My only final criticism is the packaging. The CD comes in a hard-card case rather than a traditional hard plastic case. It arrives sealed, but personally I would have preferred a plastic case to match the extremely high quality of the music it contains.

Label: VP Records
Production: Raw Edge Productions, 2012
Copyright: Raw Edge Productions, 2012
Release date: 11/09/2012

Bunny Rugs – Time review by Gav Pauze, 31/12/2012