Tasman Jude – Green

By Ryan G

Well here goes – I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve reviewed a record with any reggae influence (unless that one about Joe Moorhead counts – but I wouldn’t call that reggae. Or P.O.D. Ah shoot!) Anyway, perhaps I ought to insert a little disclaimer here – if at any point it sounds like I’m describing reggae in general and not a very specific band, this is unintentional.

Alright! Here we go… Tasman Jude is the only faith based reggae band from Canada I’ve ever heard of. This is unexpected, but can you blame the band? If I lived in the Great White North, I’d probably want to distract myself from the winter misery by writing or immersing myself in tropical sounds too. And these guys get to worship their Maker while they’re at it – killing two birds with one stone!

A compelling intro lets us know that this ain’t no ordinary reggae record – as far as I know, anyway. Lyrically, things are directed upward, but not without social commentary. At first I thought “Green (Zion)” was a protest song, but my mindset was corrected quickly to the right theme, one of faith-driven camaraderie. The band has a song named after themselves, and it is not meant to be narcissistic – rather, as a sort of mission statement from the band and an invitation to the masses to join their cause – the “island music” portion of which is emphasized emphatically with some dirty djembe work.

“Follow Your Dreams” and “Every Breath” hit topic matter that has been hit upon time and time again in many forms of artistic expression – though perhaps not quite in this way. Live life to the fullest? Follow your passion? Cliche right? Perhaps. But I can’t deny the immediate catchiness and the way the band puts a spiritual spin on these otherwise “me me me”-based themes… i.e., “fill your heart with love, on Earth as it is above.”

Could it be that Tasman Jude is prepared to take reggae to the masses? And make no mistake – don’t pigeonhole this band into a CCM market. Please. Just listen.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/169283067″ /]

Score: 3.9/5

Tasman Jude on Facebook! Buy the record here.

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