“Rebirth” is a collaborative effort between solo artist Mystic Bowie and the Pallbearers, led by Nardi Boi (Renard Boissiere.) The band will be making an appearance at Fairfield University in WVOF’s new stuido on April 22 from 6:30 p.m. till 8:00 p.m.
With band members from New York, Louisiana and the Caribbean, it’s no surprise that their music is eclectic.
Yet, the blend works to create a unique and enjoyable sound that is a tapestry of the diverse music.
Primarily working in the Reggae genre, the band incorporates Funk, Ska and several prominent Louisiana sounds to produce an entertaining album.
It is not however, a groundbreaking piece as the music can get repetitive. Two songs on the album, “I am the one” and “Rebirth” sound far too similar and lead one to question if the band was pushing itself to fill-out an entire forty-something minutes.
Lyrically the album is decent, but not exceptional. There seem to be few profound or poetic lyrics that can stand alone with any impact. “Rebirth’s” rhythms are miles ahead of its lyrics.
What the straight-forward lyrics do provide, however, is reinforcement to the quick, uplifting pace of the music. In fact the entire album is more or less uplifting and a celebration of life; “Rebirth” is an appropriate title.
These are legitimate jams that will accompany warm summer weather and procrastination well.
Mystic won his native Jamaica’s Pop and Variety Festival in 1986 and has been featured in an album by the Tom Tom Club, a group formed by some of the Talking Heads.
Both he and the Pallbearers have performed as opening acts for Reggae mainstays Toots and the Maytals and Burning Spear. They’ve played down the road at Toad’s Place in New Haven and at Nell’s in Manhattan.
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