Mellow Mood – Large (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 43:43 minutes | 541 MB | Genre: Reggae
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz | Front Cover | © La Tempesta Dub
Italian reggae band Mellow Mood first started in 2005, while Jacopo, Lorenzo and Giulio were in high school in their home town of Pordenone (North-East Italy). Over the years, the band has had many versions, but the trio always remained. They are set to release their fifth album “Large” on April 6 via LA TEMPESTA DUB. Mellow Mood is led by identical twin brothers, Jacopo and Lorenzo Garzia, along with Filippo Buresta (keyboards), Antonio M. Cicci (drums), Giulio Frausin (bass, backing vocals, guitar, percussions).
With Mellow Mood’s newest release “Large”, the band is ready to make a global statement. Large is a comment on today’s global market economy, which is constantly pushing us to produce more, consume more and live as the title track states “Large” rather than nurturing human relations, taking care of each other and appreciating what we already have. Large is a straightforward roots reggae album focusing on honest, heartfelt song-writing and heavyweight rhythms. Although Mellow Mood doesn’t sing strictly Rastafarian lyrics, their music is consistently conscious and positive. Stand out tracks like “Call Back The Love”, “Tuff Rocky Road” and “Another Day” call on the listeners to open their hearts and embrace life with a positive attitude despite the inevitable difficulties. While, “Daddy” welcomes guidance from elders, relatives and parents, and “Sound Of A War, “It Can’t Work” takes a stand by pushing back on misinformation, fake news and delusional politics. “String Up A Sound” dips into the realm of Afro-beat and features a sample taken from Sierra Leone’s Refugees All Stars’ repertoire to praise the power of music as universal healing. “Ms. Mary” is a particularly rude landlord scorning reggae music and levity, and “Heart To No One” is a painful breakup followed by “Eye Waata,” the temptation to dwell in self-pity. For Mellow Mood, music and spiritual awareness remain the “greatest weapons” to overcome tough times and keep walking on the right path as heard on “Place Called Home”. The writing of the songs took place during the summer of 2017 and was characterized by a more “live” approach as it was mostly arranged by the band in their rehearsal room and recorded live in Paolo Baldini’s studio. The use of vintage instruments dating back to the ’80s sets the sounds of the album, which was mastered in Dallas, TX by renowed Chris Athens (Drake, Nas & Damian Marley, Erykah Badu, DJ Khaled, Alborosie).
Tracklist:
01 – Call Back the Love
02 – Tuff Rocky Road
03 – Ms. Mary
04 – Sound of a War
05 – Large
06 – Heart to No One
07 – It Can’t Work
08 – Another Day
09 – Daddy
10 – String Up a Sound
11 – Eye Waata
12 – Place Called Home
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