Raging Fyah ADD

Review

Album Review: Raging Fyah - Destiny

06/17/2014

by Angus Taylor

More diverse yet more unified, Destiny is the Raging Fyah album they were always fated to make.


Raging Fyah studied reggae music theory under Third World’s Ibo Cooper and its practice in various backing bands. And, like any good students, their highly anticipated - and slightly delayed - second album Destiny expands into new areas and consolidates old skills. It does the former by embracing a wider range of sounds than debut Judgment Day. There's innovation in the South-African-choir-meets-Broadway-musical harmonies of Africa; the smooth soul-reggae single My First Love; and the straight gospel of Equinoxx co-production piano ballad Brave.

But if you miss the UK-meets-JA roots feel of Judgment Day’s Music Isn’t Biased – the back half of the record has you covered. There's historical inspiration in Barriers with its slight melodic resemblance to the Wailing Souls Bredda Gravalicious; Step Outta Babylon’s nods to Aswad and Steel Pulse; and Rory Stone Love collab Nah Look Back – which faintly recalls Tarrus Riley’s One Two Order.  All this variety is wrapped in a very united sound - glossy and amply-produced whilst maintaining its roots. It could be said that the JA band revival in general is a reflection of how the island’s musical establishment wants to see itself and project to the world. The progressive reggae of the late 70s and early 80s that echoed the slickening of American soul and was crossing into the bedrooms of the globe via companies such as Island and EMI. The sophistication of Third World or Sly and Robbie at Compass Point. Yet Raging Fyah add an English dubby dimension (perhaps inspired by bassist Pele Hamilton’s period in London with the scene’s big players) that gives them a tough distinctive edge.



There are plenty of hooks in Raging Fyah music. However, unlike some of their contemporaries these are subtle and traditional without the steroid-induced ear-burrowing choruses that sound written by committee in a Scandinavian song factory. There's a similar subtlety to Kumar Bent’s voice: powerful and unique but a gentle blend of many flavours. Bandleader Demar Gayle’s keyboards are less prominent and less 80s sounding this time (bar a little faux brass on the jaunty Feel Jah Love), favouring swirling Hammond and crunchy Clavinet.

Solid and promising as it was, Judgement Day didn't quite capture Raging Fyah’s power live. More diverse yet more unified, Destiny is the Raging Fyah album they were always fated to make.

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