Tribal Seeds - "TRIBAL SEEDS"
(Review by Tom Orr)

I caught this San Diego-based band at a recent free outdoor concert down by the beach (always a good thing), and they had a crowd of Sunday afternoon sun worshippers, picnickers, kids, older folks and people who looked like they'd come straight from church caught up in the vibes alongside the more obvious reggae fans. Goes to show how infectious good reggae music can be. Tribal Seeds are both good and infectious, managing to be so without softening the sound or the message. True to the botanical implications of their name, they go for the roots. Lead singer Steven Rene Jacobo has a moderately Marley-ish vocal quality and an urgency that reminds me of Steel Pulse's David Hinds (now that I think of it, he sounds kind of like African reggae singer Majek Fashek as well). He's the group's lyricist also, showing via the likes of "Creator," "Rasta, Refuse It" and "Jah Stone" that he's got a lot more than earthly things on his mind. Musically, the group is tight and unified, with lead guitarist Marc Munoz tearing off some sharp solos that help give the overall sound a discernible Latino edge befitting the heritage of most of Tribal Seeds' members. Though familiar reggae themes abound, some of the songs ("Rider," "Dolls Dancing," "Dark Angel") go for a decidedly abstract feel that keeps predictability at bay and merits close listening apart from just letting the exceptional riddims (some of which bring to mind peak-era Roots Radics) carry you away. Impressive stuff, enough so that if I have to pay to see these guys next time, I gladly will.