Nattali RizeRebel Frequency
Rootfire Co-op / MGM

- Rebel Frequency is the first full-length solo release from Nattali Rize, lead singer of Australian festival favourites Blue King Brown.

Blue King Brown made their name with energetic reggae songs and socially conscious lyrics. Fans of the band probably weren't expecting many surprises with this record and to be honest they're unlikely to find many. Nattali Rize solo, it turns out, is comprised of these same elements - maybe even more concentrated.

Nattali headed to the birthplace of reggae, Jamaica, for the recording of this album. Yet the result is not so much going back to the roots of the genre as it is an updating to the sound of Kingston in 2017 - especially near the start of the album, the influence of electronic dancehall styles is noticeable.

Most of the record is still a modern roots reggae sound, with just a few exceptions. Meditation sounds like mid-'70's Bob Marley And The Wailers (Bob's son Julian makes a guest appearance on the track Natty Rides Again), while the piano and strings intro of Heart Of A Lion promises somethng more pop-oriented before the song reverts to a familiar dancehall vibe. The band is tight and the production good, not that I imagine it's hard to find good reggae musicians in Kingston.

It's impossible to talk about the music of Nattali Rize without reference to the lyrical content - promotional material for the album reads more like a political communique than music promo. The politics of Rebel Frequency are the kind usually described as "conscious" rather than "protest" - there is very little reference to current political issues or campaigns. "If we're really that intelligent why are we the only ones who pay to live on this planet?" asks the title track. Fair point, but the lyrics offer no real solutions as to how we could go about changing that beyond "freeing our mind" and "rising up". "In the music we get free" says Meditation, but if that's the case then what happens when we get to the end of the song?

Of course, that is a question that could be asked of all political music, not just this album. It should be said that Nattali Rize has always been a keen supporter of social causes and also that she has created an enjoyable reggae album that hopefully can stimulate action both on the dancefloor and in the struggle for a better world.

- Andy Paine.

Nattali RizeRebel Frequency

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