Shami Bey – Ring – Review
Shami Bey Ring Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.
Californian-raised Shami Bey is back with another blend of her signature Reggae meets 90s RnB sound – this time, with some Dub thrown in for good measure.
Ring, released via RuffCompany Records, sees Bey strip things back to something from the 70s, with a track which is pleasing and engaging in equal scale.
The track is a curious Reggae-based creation, built around some key elements which at times feel almost Dub and Rocksteady in formation. The bass runs around a drop-beat rhythm that skips the three and runs a melodic form low down its register But then, in traditional Rocksteady style, a guitar copies the bass’s line but an octave higher – giving additional depth to this driving rhythm.
Drums run a basic one-drop where the hi-hats are persistent while the snare and kick play a back-seat role. Then, keys run a bubble rhythm in the mid-range of their register – which flits in and out creating almost Dub breaks across the start of each verse particularly. The use of reverb across them is delicate but effective – giving just a touch of echo.
Then, there’s a pleasing horn section which is used sparingly across the track. It comes in as almost a counterpoint to Bey’s main performance, running harmonised, legato runs that are both smooth and point – using a fairly forceful technique. These are accompanied by backing vocals which are grounded in something choir-like – being harmonised across vowel sounds, generally, giving pleasing depth with the feel of Gospel at points.
Overall, this arrangement across Ring makes a good palette for Bey to bounce off – and she does this well.
Her performance here is understated. Bey works around the lower-end of her mid-soprano register, never forcing the vocal but ensuring that her enunciation is on point, and that her rhythmic performance is generally staccato across the verses, but more drawn out on the choruses, matching the instrumental arrangement. She has a pleasing tone here, and a good delivery that is both captivating and through-provoking. Lyrically, Bey has constructed an interesting narrative around the societal and spiritual value, as she perceives it, of the family unit – one that should be grounded in faith even in modern times.
Overall, Ring is a pleasing track from Bey and all involved. Well-arranged and well-executed, it shows what can be done when traditional derivatives of Reggae are brought up to date.
Read more from reviews from RuffCompany Records with other new releases from this year, including Papa Michigan Mango Season and General Jah Mikey The Power Of Love.
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Shami Bey Ring Review by Mr Topple / Pauzeradio PR Services.
