Gentleman's Dub Club - Riot

  by Adrian Janes

published: 30 / 4 / 2013

Label: Ranking Records
Format: CDS

intro

Powerful and despairing new single from Leeds-based nine-piece reggae/ska act, Gentleman's Dub Club

‘Riot’ begins with a distant wash of sound, before a strident synth leads off and smooth vocals intone the entire lyric: “Watching the world disappear from my window/Things will never be the same again.” An insistent steppers rhythm kicks in and we are soon immersed in a swirl of echoing guitars, keyboards, voices and occasional brass, an atmosphere reminiscent of classic 70's and 80's dub. At one point the music stops while the words are sung again, in a way that suggests melancholy or resignation, while a siren and thunderous percussion like small explosions emerge in the background. The title inevitably brings to mind the events of Summer 2011, but although this track has undeniable power, it is not the energetic aggression of a Kaiser Chiefs or Clash but something more brooding and, as it goes on building its clash of echoes and effects, an evocation of mounting confusion. My one reservation is its release as a single, as it is hardly the stuff that the Top 30 is made of. But as a taster for the band’s debut album, which is due in the Autumn, it certainly whets the appetite. If it’s all as good as this, they could be a 21st century Specials.

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