ARTISTE: KATALYS CREW
ALBUM: 'OPEN YOUR EYES'
IF YOU have not heard of them before, you won't be in the dark for much longer.
Upcoming gospel artistes Katalys Crew has managed to put together their first album, Open Your Eyes.
These agents of change are on a mission to 'positively transform the minds of many through the unique language of reggae music.
One of the album's strengths is its use of a variety of styles and beats within the reggae genre. You don't get the chance to be bored by having to listen to one monotonous beat throughout the album.
For instance there is Let Go, Let God which is a spin-off from the ska era, which many young people may not be able to appreciate.
The group has, however, managed to turn it into a 'get-up-and-dance' tune, reinforced with a positive message: "Let go, let God control your mind, cause if you try to make it on your own, you'll be wasting your time."
Then, there is Pray Fi Dem, which is more of a dancehall gospel tune and slower songs such as God's Mercy, That Touch and Riding High which has a groovy, one drop beat.
STRONG LYRICS
The lyrics are another of the album's strengths. They are simple, clean uncomplicated and based on real-life situations with which just about anyone can identify.
One must be warned that some of the tracks might be a bit more than the traditional thinkers can handle because, they are a little like some of the dancehall songs, with different lyrics.
David Dance, which offers to teach new dance moves 'to get with it on the dance floor' such as ('Follow the Cross', 'Whip the Devil' and 'Under the Blood'), sounds a lot like Elephant Man's, Pon Di River.
It may be for the more radical folks, but that definitely does not take anything away from the album's appeal.
There are quite a few tracks that stand out. Among them is Can't take away my Lord, which starts out with Jai's smooth vocals, 'You can take away my house, take away my car, but you can never take my faith in the Lord. You can take away my life, whatever it may be, but you cannot take my Lord' and moves in to a more up tempo beat.
Open Up Your Eyes, Riding High, David Dance, That Touch and Nah Give Up are few of the others.
If you pop the CD into your computer, you will also get about an hour of videos, interviews, some of the Crew's candid moments, a photo gallery as well as biographies of the group's members.
Katalys Crew has certainly opened up a few eyes to the gospel and a many more will surely be opened to how radical gospel music has become.
All in all, it's a very good compilation and professionally produced. Kudos to the crew.
- Monique Murray
