Jah Mex – Rootsman Style – Review
Jah Mex Rootsman Style Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.
Jah Mex, a seasoned artist, has finally dropped his first vinyl release – and it was well worth the wait.
Rootsman Style, distributed by Creation Rebel Sound System, sees Mex team up with DM Khan and Albert Hurtado. Production is slick, as are the mixing and mastering which bring the main instrumental lines nicely to the fore while maintaining the Roots-heavy rhythm section in the background.
Side A has the main vocal version. A smooth, meandering arrangement is grounded in (unironically) a Roots style. Keys run a rudimentary bubble rhythm but with some nice use of blue notes to add interest. The rich and rounded bass runs a drop-beat rhythm that varies the beat it misses, across a fairly complex melody which gives Rootsman Style a wind. Drums avoid a traditional one drop, as the kick hits the one and three – but the snare still focuses on the up beats, while hi-hats tinker in between. There’s some nice use of additional percussion, including kette.
The additional instrumentation is well-placed, too. There are several guitar lines in play – one being the omnipresent riff that accompanies the bass. Another comes in at certain points with a rasping solo line – which takes full flight across an impressive bridge, where the tone is metallic, and the style picked. Horns are used well, too. They drop in and out across a riff which is staccato, punching with its impact but not overbearingly so. It works well against Mex’s vocal – serving as almost a backing line. There’s a nice use of a synth, adding a touch of the 1980s – and overall Rootsman Style’s composition is slick and affecting.
Mex then delivers a pleasing vocal. His voice sits in a baritone register more than it does a tenor – which is reflected in both his vocal range and the timbre. The latter is rich and rounded, with a pleasing gruffness at points. Mex makes good use of his register, moving up and down it with ease – and constructing a quality melody in the process. He employs effective varying of note length to accentuate the lyrics, and also dynamics to then hammer them home. Narratively, Mex has put together a pleasing ode to Rastafari and how the culture represents it: “if you want to hear, then you’ve got to listen. I’ll even slow it down so you can understand”.
Side B gives us a Dub version. The interest here is focused heavily on the use of breaks to strip away certain parts of the instrumental lines – heavily at points, which creates a stark and brooding affair. There’s keen attention to detail across the engineering, too, with excellent use of reverb and decay. It’s a pleasing dub, overall – and well executed.
Rootsman Style is a strong offering from Mex and the team. Unfussy in arrangement, this makes the overall sound even more effective; Mex delivers a pleasing and involved vocal, the Dub is great – and overall, the release delivers.
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Jah Mex Rootsman Style Review Review by Mr Topple / Pauzeradio PR Services.
