(Vitamin)

Released on the Mullumbimby based Vitamin label is Sydney reggae and dub group Kingtide’s debut album, To Our Dearly Deported. Following from their first release, the single No Dog War (featured on a Sony advertisement) which is released on the album as Dog War this album is a selection of reggae and dub that have gained the group a keen following in Australia. Label mates on Vitamin include Entropic, Fourplay, Professor Groove and the Booty Affair and Tracky Dax.

The band formed in 2004, comprising of Sean Collins and Tony Hughes on vocals, Terepai Richmond on drums, Alex Hewitson on bass, Lindsay Page on keyboards and trombone, Tony Gilbert on guitar, Ras Country Man on melodica, Alex Page De Mars on trombone and Geoff Innes on trumpet as well as Linda Janssen and Charlie Maclean on guest vocals as well as Benjamin Cripps on bass for No Dog War.  The members have come from various Australian groups including Bellydance, Hughes’ group, which he was asked to revive and he did as Kingtide, along with DIG, The Whitlams and Wicked Beat Sound System.

Having met and started the group in January 2004, Hughes, Collins and the group begin recording their album in August of that year. However this process is hampered in February 2005 when Collins was taken to Villawood detention centre to be deported back to the USA having outstayed his visa. Collins was bailed out of the centre a week before he left the country to record his vocals and hence complete the album. In the CD case is a printout of an email where he thanks those who made Australia his Nirvana, and promises to be back in three years. Sooner in fact, if his plan of doing a radiology course and entering the country as a skilled migrant works.

Now with the musicians and their stories out of the way, let’s allow the music to do the talking. Beginning with Waves Break, its first line “I found happiness…yes, yes, where I left it last”, the songs up-strummed reggae guitar line and slow beat drums start you off on a lovely mellow vibe. In the recording throughout the album there is a well honed production value, the sounds have been put down on perfectly, the arrangements too speak just as much. Mad Over We includes a recorded section from a live show, with a loud boozy crowd being led in a sing along, the song then follows, again a slow, reggae refrain.

Dog War was originally recorded as a cover of part of Toots & The Maytals song “Broadway Jungle”. Recorded on request for a Sony ad, it was then written and recorded into an entire song which is the upbeat ska song we hear on this album. Linda Janssen, vocalist from Wicked Beat Sound System has a hand in Lovers which could be perfectly placed in a cereal ad, with a well lit room and two handsome people rolling around in bed laughing. Such is the feel of the entire album, its lightness of mood and feeling is quite contagious, and even without Collins, the band is sure to get a strong following in an Australian Summer, which this albums release is heralding the beginning of.

Babylon Mixed Business, a song about a pot smoker considering the merits of his habit while sitting in Sydney traffic is a low slung ska track that makes you snigger. Me Sweet Heart an Dem sounds like a reggae love song from Collins to the girl he found in his time in Australia, its sound close to the music of Bob Marley. Charlie’s Lovers while sharing the same backing band has the distinct difference in vocals of Hughes’ voice. Sharing the mic with Collins, Hughes comes across sounding very much like Greedy Smith, the lead singer of Mental As Anything.

Finally there are my two standout tracks of the album, the last two, Happy Sufferer, a moody dub piece, bass heavy, slow and groovy this is the song you want playing through an afternoon outside on the grass with a cool drink in your hand. Then there is Love Me Hiphop But Reggaes Me Life, a cheeky slow, bass chunked song that is a shear cry out of joy for life and music. It’s a perfect way to finish the album with a joint chorus of “we’re gonna have a reggae party tonight”. It’s a beautiful sentiment that takes in the entire album for this reviewer.