Pentateuch ADD

Review

Album Review: Pentateuch - The Genesis

10/31/2012

by Valentin Zill

So you have not yet heard of Pentateuch? I am not referring to the five books of Moses in the Bible‘s Old Testament, but to the Kingstonian reggae band responsible for the massive February 2012 hit single Black Face. Do not worry if you have yet to get familiar with them - I never heard of them before I was asked to review their debut album, The Genesis. But as soon as you‘re done reading this review, that needs to change, trust me.

Jamaica‘s recent roots reggae renaissance has been fueled by bands like Rootz Underground, Dubtonic Kru and Raging Fyah, whose members usually have an Edna Manley College of the Performing Arts educational background. You might not be too surprised to hear that the five members of Pentateuch met in 2009 at Edna Manley‘s, and that the group‘s first live appearance happened in 2009 at the Bands Incorporated event, hosted by Rootz Underground and Dubtonic Kru. Pentateuch has set out to strengthen this young movement, and you will see why in a minute.

The Genesis is a delightfully coherent album of 14 tracks by legendary hitmaker/ Producer Paul “Computer Paul” Henton. Press play and you dive into a musical journey characterized by earthy bass lines, rootsy, subtle beats, heavenly keyboard melodies adding musical depth, rocky guitar licks, all accentuated with carefully inserted, angelic background vocals. Both the music and the lyrics immediately evoke the golden heydays of roots reggae and some of its greatest legends. The melancholic keyboards in Going Home have an almost Lucky Dube-esk feel, while tunes like Struggles of Africa recall Burning Spear with their deep spirituality and jazzy brass sections.

Thematically, Africa is a headcornerstone on The Genesis. Going Home dreams of repatriation to the Motherland. Black Face promotes self-esteem and self-acceptance within the world‘s Black communities. Struggles of Africa demands reparation for 500 years of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Just the same old story? Sure thing that Pentateuch do not reinvent the wheel here, but that does not mean these claims would have lost any of their haunting topicality.

“Be waiting on the world to change/All we do is sit here and complain/If you don‘t stand and be that change/Then you and the problems are the same/So let the change start with me” (Change): Pentateuch‘s music awakes, it pressures you to take action in a very positive way. Be that in Kingston or elsewhere. And that might well be part of the reason why Pentateuch need not to be afraid of things to come: Armageddon Time and Will You Be There. And why they can deal with Nothing But Love in the end. 

The Genesis is easily one of the most stunning reggae albums of 2012. Reggae has not sounded as sweet, as spiritual, as easy, as powerful since Raging Fyah. REGGAEVILLE endorses this album nonconstrainingly and strongly suggests booking agencies and festival organizers to help promote this fresh and healthy sound.

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