"Alternative UK"
Album Review
The Erin Bardwell Collective - Volume 1
This has been released on Pop-A-Top Records, a collection of songs written and performed by ex More Specials front man Erin Bardwell. It is an awesome little Ska/Reggae album which will definitely get you up on your feet skanking to the mellow, chilled out vibes that it has to offer.
Erin Bardwell is an extremely respected man and you only have to look at this collection to see why – these are amazingly produced Ska/Reggae songs which are sure to calm you down after a hard days work as when you are listening to them you can just imagine being on a far away, tropical island with the sun on the skin and your feet in the sea – it is pure and utter bliss. There are 13 great songs on display here, some having a more Reggae feel to them and some with a distinct skanking Ska sound to them – and whatever the sound is, it is performed to perfection by the man himself, Erin Bardwell. It is not just the music that is good, the lyrics are also expertly produced with deep meaning to them and great significance. If you are a fan of this style of music then you will definitely be in to this CD as it is performed with great style, passion, and flair – and this makes way for one of the greatest Ska/Reggae CDs that I have ever heard, and believe me – I have heard a fair few! It is just so chilled out that it is unbelievable, if you have any problems in the world – when you listen to this you will literally feel them just float away and this is a great feeling indeed! ‘Connection’ is an absolutely blinding tune and if you do not check out the whole CD then just make sure you listen to this one somehow as it is verging on legendary with its chilled out and laid back approach that will have you dancing the night away.
This is definitely one of the Ska/Reggae releases of the year and if I gave CDs ratings then this one would definitely be getting a 10/10 right about now! Everything about this CD is totally spot on and this is as clear as day to anyone – even if you are not a fan of the Ska/Reggae style then you can probably still see that this man has a hell of a lot of talent and has bag loads to offer. I was aware that he had been in The More Specials but did not realise that the man had this much talent and when the CD started playing I really did have a smile on my face right up until the moment that it stopped.
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