Scared New World is the second superb release from the best little reggae outfit in Australia. 15 months ago they gave us the excellent To Our Dearly Deported, which was an extraordinary musical intro into our last southern summer. Now with us heading into another season of unknown global warming weather patterns (and very unknown political waters) the King Tide conglomerate have mixed up some special treats for us to move our feet again.

“We live in scarier and darker times”, Tony Hughes partly joked, when I mentioned that this CD was a bit deeper and harder then the first release. “We made a conscious decision to record this album using reggae only as a compass. We wanted it to be more about what we do as a band. We are not Jamaican, we are not from Trenchtown, and if we try to be, we are not going to sound like that. We have tried to explore what and who we are and use reggae as a guide to make our own Australian reggae.”

And they have succeeded in putting together another masterful and funky blend that will once again have you skanking. Whether you see them live or have them blasting through your system, joy is felt. They also are able to make you think a bit about where the world is today. ‘World Gone Wack’ talks about the loss of love and how the dogs are even scared in the neighbourhood. That is a terrifying thought and I do wonder how the felines will cope, too.

‘Bush Heads’ is another example of the political leanings of the members of King Tide. The emotions about Bush and Howard and the governments of the demonic powers are mentioned, but not jammed down your throat. Where is the protest song today? Tony said, “People are too complacent and I don’t want the songs to be hectoring. You can only reflect what is around you and if you write or paint or whatever, it comes through in your art.” But besides the words of this song, you have to really beware of the creepy beginning by vocal controller Paul Snatch. The animals are even more anxious!

King Tide was formed a few years ago by Tony when he was approached to put a reggae band together for the Beach Hotel in Bondi. “Bellydance, my former group had been together 12 years and then I had basically done f*** all for the last decade until I was approached to put this band together”, said Tony. It was never a pre-conceived or well planned idea. It was a chance to fill the spot at a reggae night down at the beach. What a stroke of luck! With some great local musicians from bands such as The Whitlam’s, The Resurrectors, Floyd Vincent’s and even The Fro’s backing band (along with the aforementioned vocal controllers) and added horn blowers, this dazzling slice of reggae is unique to Sydney.

You may recall that King Tide had one Sean Collins ably doing the toasting if you caught them back a few years. He was the ‘deported’ mentioned in the first release. Sean is still in New York and the chances seem remote that he will be back down toasting with King Tide anytime soon. Paul Snatch has ably filled those vocal duties and is also the knob controller when in the studio.With grooves like ‘Summer Dress’, the funky cover of Marley’s ‘Mr. Brown’, the tribute to the Skatalites and the soon to be summer holiday standard ‘Christmas Song’, the members of King Tide have brought us some beautiful holiday cheer.

Recorded in a couple of days and mixed in two weeks in sunny Bundeena the lads were able to keep themselves well charged to deliver us to reggae rapture once again. Enjoy the tide, high or low, you will definitely come out wet and warm….and I am not sure what that means, except I think I am running low on batteries. And one closing word from Mr Hughes to all the fans, “Buy the record, please, as we only have one child left to eat.”

King Tide’s latest album, ‘Scared New World’, is out now through Vitamin.