Bay-C ADD

Review

EP Review: Bay-C - The Better Must Come

03/27/2016

Crossroads – you know how it go. Sometimes in your life, you reach a point where you have to make up your mind which road to follow. Left, right, up, down? Certainly UP is the way Bay-C chose when T.O.K. went on hiatus last year. The first product of him concentrating on his solo career has just seen the light of day: The Better Must Come, an EP released on his own label Bombrush Records. Five tracks give us a first teaser of what Bay-C tastes like – and yes, please, I want to order the whole set meal!

Starting off with the Roots Survival production Eye For An Eye, the artist called Roshaun Clarke makes it clear that he has come with a message. "When will di cycle stop if everyday di rifle clap?", asks he in this characteristic voice that has conquered the world already longtime. The subsequent title track gives it the opportunity to unfold its full potential: Better Must Come is a suffarah's anthem that, once heard, will stick with you forever. With an acoustic guitar pattern that is as simple as it is ingenious, Robert "Dubz" Browne captivates the listener and lets Bay-C's words fall on fertile soil. Anyone can identify with the livications he cites, and his promise "Better will come!" is intense and irresistible.

Hold It Out ties in with Bay-C's dancehall affinity. Category 5 produced a fitting riddim for the artist to elaborate on the need to stay real and not bow to the dollar bill. This direct approach to the little man on the street and the youth around the corner is a product of both the singer's own past and his fervent wish to help his communities to prosper, a street credibility that is continued in Straight Outta Portmore. Inspired by the movie Straight Outta Compton (see the upcoming interview for details), the song takes pride in the city of Portmore directly adjoining Kingston to the west. The powerful riddim was produced and mixed by Maurice Simms from Genius Sound and is the second anthem of the EP. The final track Star (a Bassline Rock Music production mixed by Icon) assures us that, besides the serious and pensive tunes, Bay-C still knows how to party.

It is indeed great to watch another conscious artist rise, and you are well advised to follow Bay-C on his journey to greatness (which, incidentally, is the title of his upcoming album). With the EP The Better Must Come, he certainly laid a solid foundation for an international career, and it won't be long until you can convince yourself of his qualities as a live performer as well – a club tour throughout Germany and some other European countries is already booked for May!