THERE IS a darned good reason why the debut album of the singer with the most popular new song of the past two years, a song which has more than proven its staying power, is named after the performer and not that song.
Sounds convoluted? Put it this way, then. Abijah's first album is called Abijah, not Revelation.
A listen through the 14-track set quickly reveals (pun intended) why this is so. Abijah presents Andrew Smith as a complete artiste by not concentrating on the hit Revelation. In fact, the song is quickly got to and got out of the way, coming in at number two.
There is probably another reason why the album is not named Revelation, as the song is something of an aberration on the set. Abijah is dominated by slow, contemplative songs not that Revelation is a head-banger, but the unreserved dancing and sing-along that it inspires are not replicated on the album.
Now that was a damn lot to say about what an album does not focus on.
NYABINGHI CHANT STYLE
Abijah opens with the haunting guitar-backed Children of Love and closes with Bound in Zion, which proves that a Nyabinghi chant style song does not have to be the same old same old. In between, Abijah goes on a laid-back hip hop style with Why, goes up-tempo with No More War, to the root of roots with Rootsman Take Over and works around a great saxophone solo on Fall To The Ground.
The themes are not earth shattering, but Abijah avoids the fallback of so many Jamaican artistes, the good old weed tune. Love finds a lot of room on the album with Why, Where Is That Love and Woman, on which he gives thanks for the woman that he found. Of course, there is a lot of spirituality and words of encouragement, mostly so on Live and Press On.
One of my favourite tracks on the album is One Love, Long Life, on which he sings beautifully about the benefits of sticking to one woman, something that is certainly out of character in Jamaican music. Abijah sings that:
If you going around
like a clown
Saying its OK to sleep around-
If you have one lover
You will have long life
The right love and you will
feel all right
One of the factors about Abijah that impresses me is that he does not combine with 'stars' (whatever that is) to lift his album. He combines beautifully with rapper Nadz on Why, while Shepherd does a decent deejay job on Woman.
So what is the verdict on Abijah, which takes the focus away from Revelation and puts it on the artiste? It works. Abijah puts together a decent batch songs that make you listen, combined with good musicianship. In addition, Abijah has an expressive voice, which he pours a lot of into Bound In Zion. However, the lyrics are not the greatest in the world there is no turn of phrase that makes you stop and go 'damn!' A cliché like it's a jungle out there jumps out at you on Press On.
Abijah makes it clear that Andrew 'Abijah' Smith is much more than a one-off with Revelation and has the voice and attitude to make music that you can keep. With attention to lyrical content, he can be great.
'Abijah' Smith takes solo writing credits on 11 of the 14 songs, and shares co-writing honours on two others, notably Live with Mikey Bennett, with the lyrics to Freedom belonging to Brian Santos. Abijah is also credited with the music on most of the songs, with the best of Jamaica's musicians creating great original rhythms. These include Wayne Armond, Desi Jones, Glen Browne, Robbie Lyn and Dean Fraser, with Rovletta Fraser and Roslind Williams being the pair to provide most of the superb harmony.
TRACK LISTING
1. Children of Love
2. Revelation
3. Why
4. The Rock
5. One Love, Long Life
6. No More War
7. Where Is That Love
8. Woman
9. Freedom
10. Rootsman Take Over
11. Fall To The Ground
12. Live
13. Press On
14. Bound In Zion
- Mel Cooke
