LawGiver The Kingson – One-Ness – Review

July 14, 2024

LawGiver The Kingson – One-Ness Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.

Well-established artist LawGiver the Kingson is back with a new track – partly to celebrate his earthstrong but also to pay homage to a golden era of Roots.

One-Ness, released via Imperishable Uprising, sees LawGiver tackle the influences of several genres head-on, across an upbeat and forward-moving arrangement which barely stops for breath -except when it’s designed to.

The mixing by Marvin Jackson and mastering by Jemoi Mothieth (Clearsonic Studios) are very strong – creating a rich and vibrant palette of noise, bringing the component parts of the track together well.

LawGiver said of the track:

“Composing this song, I find myself transported back to the initial phase of roots reggae, encapsulating the aura and dynamism of that generation. Transitioning it to the present, it feels exhilarating to ink those feelings and rekindle that same dynamism, reiterating to people that unity is the key to coexistence, just like the harmony of ebony and ivory. Amidst the chaos of leaders battling against each other, this song serves as a powerful call to unite and stand together in harmony.

The song will be out on July 23rd which is a birthday present from me to roots reggae lovers around the world”.

One-Ness indeed has an aura about it. Some rudimental Roots devices are present. Paul Corsdale’s keys are on a bubble rhythm, which is intermittent in nature – playing into Dub. Owen “Bassie” Rennalls’ bass winds back and forth, low down its register and with a rich and rounded tone. There’s a nicely skanking guitar which breaks out into some decent riffing at points. Then, Adena Myrie provides some really solid backing vocals – using call and response across much of the track, in keeping with Roots, as well as some straight harmonisation at points.

However, Steppers is brought in via Cleveland “Clevie” Browne’s double-time four-to-the-floor from the kick, while the rest of the drums perform more Roots-based arrangements. The pace is picked up at points by rapidly pattering bongos, with the snare also following suit towards the end of the track.

Dub is a heavy influence across One-Ness too. It begins as a stark affair, before the instrumentation builds. The breaks are strong and vivid, stripping proceedings back before picking them up again. The use of engineering is sonic with heavy reverb and decay smattered across much of the instrumentation at times – but it’s not overused, either.

All in all, this creates a lush backdrop for LawGiver’s vocal. Here, he is as forthright and engaging as ever – his rich, high baritone gliding effortlessly around the track, up and down his pleasing register while never pausing too long on any one note or phrase – ensuring his melodic and rhythmic line matches that of the accompaniment. He’s created a solid arrangement for both of those, too – delivering a catchy chorus coupled with verses that are well-syncopated – but again, not too much so. Lyrically, Lawgiver’s narrative centres around a rallying cry for peace, togetherness, and unity in the face of Babylon’s mendacity – and it is thoughtful and well-constructed.

There’s also a Dubwise version of the track – which sees the focus become the engineering, create some extreme Dub sonics amid stripping away of much of the instrumentation at points. It’s well-executed and effective.

Overall, One-Ness is solid and formidable works from LawGiver, and all involved. Musically engaging, it shows him and the team at their creative best – and cements him as one of the most unique artists to emerge in recent years.