Black Seeds, The - Solid Ground (Album)

Amongst the slew of band names featuring ‘black’ is Black Sabbath, Black Flag, The Black Crowes, Big Black and Frank Black. There’s also The Black Eyed Peas, The Blackeyed Susans, The Black Kids, The Black Ghosts, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and even Jack Black amongst others. So that’s why I mistakenly picked up this new album by The Black Seeds instead of who I thought it was, The Black Keys. Shit… my mistake. This isn’t a dirty rock album at all; it’s a clean reggae / dub / head nodding album - albeit one I’ve warmed to in due course. So who are The Black Seeds?

Because they’re from New Zealand and there’s about ten of them, maybe I should pump them up for my own safety – nah, just kidding. Formed in ‘98, this is their fifth album however does not include former member Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords, so could it be 10% less funny?

Look, you can probably tell it’s been a while since my last reggae fusion release. But if anything it may as well be this. The standout track is the sunny jingle Take Your Chances, with further party-friendly finds in Rotten Apple, Afrophone and The Bubble. More laid back than that, the album on the whole sounds like a Jamaican field trip with a bunch of wily Kiwis (sans the accents) whom not only know their craft, but ply it studiously.

As per the album’s central tune’s namesake, it’s all One Step at a Time. I like the menacing wisdom of Slingshot [“the tighter you wind it up, the harder it’s gonna hit you”] just a tad more than the ska-tinged Make A Move, but there’s no real need to push ‘skip’ unless you’re feeling itchy for something else - like The Black Keys for example; or The Black Eyed Peas, Barry White, James Brown, Adam Green, Yello… the colour chart goes on.

I’ve never made the mistake of grabbing the wrong artist before, but in the end it kinda worked out alright. Choice, bro!

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