Don Hartley – Zion Gate – Review
Don Hartley Zion Gate Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.
The wonderful Don Hartley has recently returned with another glorious track – this time, focusing on smooth Roots vibes that contain pertinent lyrical messages.
Zion Gate, released via World One Entertainment, sees Hartley team up with producer I-niverse for this sumptuous Roots Reggae cut. As is always the case with anything Hartley does, the mixing and mastering – here from I-niverse – is spot on: sympathetic to the overall instrumental arrangement, while also giving breathing room for the various lines as well as Hartley’s vocal to come through.
The track uses various Roots musical devices to hone it’s sound. Keys are on a bubble rhythm in the mid-range of their register which is choppy but drives the momentum of Zion Gate forward. Then, the bass is on a great riff. It’s a one drop, missing the first beat of each bar while winding around an intricate rhythm. Melodically, its on a constant riff that works in the lower end of its range. Drums complement all this well, being on a one drop as well where the kick hits the two and four, while the snare hits those. However, the hi-hats are interesting here as they swerve between using open and closed techniques to create interest to the usual one drop arrangement. The additional rolls across the tom-toms add further momentum.
There’s good use of the guitar, here providing a lilting skank that weaves around the track. Just after the midpoint, the horns section comes in from the background (where it’s been providing brief interjections of chords) to provide some pleasing, vocal-style accompaniment. Here, they strut in, giving a rousing riff that Hartley then improvs against. There is the faintest hint of an electric organ that occasionally juts in through the left input, on rapid-fire chords.
There are some nice nods to Dub throughout, as well – including the fleeting use of rhythmic reverb and brief breaks which work well with the stuttering arrangement.
It would be remiss not to note that there are some pitch issues in Hartley’s vocals at points during the chorus, where he hits some of the notes slightly sharp – as do the falsetto backing vocals. However, this doesn’t detract from what is an overall strong performance – as he uses restraint throughout to provide a compelling melody, which uses his tenor and at times falsetto range, along with a winding melody.
Lyrically, Hartley has also provided a compelling narrative around an individual’s spiritual journey – from young to old. It looks at the path to a spiritual awakening – to the point where the ‘Motherland is waiting for you’, and Jah has opened Zion gate. It also deals with Babylon’s wickedness – from slavery to the modern world we live in. But ultimately, when you find your faith, you release eventually Babylon ‘will be burning’ – and those of us with faith will be ‘passing through’ Zion gate.
Overall, Hartley and I-niverse have created a pleasing track with Zion Gate. The musical backdrop is well-constructed and there’s good attention to detail in terms of the arrangement and engineering. Hartley provides a pleasing vocal (away from the pitch issues), and lyrically is the master of crafting accessible narratives. Solid works.
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Don Hartley Zion Gate Review by Mr Topple / Pauzeradio PR Services.
