Others, such as Desmond Dekker on “007,” saw doom coming when the soldiers were called in, but Dekker took the stance of an observer, not commenting one way or another. Some artists, such as The Wailers on “Jailhouse,” saw the rude boys as youths fighting a system that was against them. And since Jamaican music always commented on current events, rudies were mostly lionized: a rudie on your side was not a rudie against you, after all. Singers in Kingston, Jamaica, knew their audience contained a sprinkling of rudies, the sharply-dressed bad boys who were shootin’, lootin’ and bomb-throwin’ their way around town. The rude boy was celebrated and reviled on record in the 60s – but mostly celebrated. Alton Ellis And The Flames: Cry Tough (1967) Here are 11 of the best reggae protest songs that remain timeless classics. “Mouth Guards of the Apocalypse” resembles the closer on their eponymous album, “It’s All Gonna Break.” It’s a bit messy, but intentionally so - BSS leaves us with an unsettling, bittersweet exit as the grand synths fade into silence.Whether warning rudies of doom around the corner, fighting for the legalization of cannabis, or battling dark forces in politics, the best reggae protest songs have spoken to their times and yet continue to resonate today. “Please Take Me with You” is nearly forgettable, but its more hushed tone and relaxed pace is refreshing it’s a much-needed pitstop for Hug of Thunder, calming down its rapid energy so it doesn’t burnout. “Skyline” begins like a bad early 2010s folk song, with overly delicate guitars, but eventually progresses into one of the album’s most heartfelt moments. Hug of Thunder, unlike Forgiveness Rock Record, doesn’t have any standout stinkers. Her lyrics evoke heart aching imagery of self doubt: “Survival by the soundtrack made of our short lives / Making sense of hologram ecology / I’ll be crying listening to Grace.” “Hug of Thunder” - her first appearance on a BSS album since 2005’s Broken Social Scene besides providing brief backing vocals on Forgiveness Rock Record - is nothing short of songwriting brilliance. It’s Feist, however, who delivers one of the best BSS songs to date, proving herself to be the ensemble’s most intriguing member. A groovy bass and jumpy beat carries the rest of the track, and Ariel Engle’s lead vocals stand out as one of the album’s most impressive singular performances. “Stay Happy” begins with a back-and-forth guitar and vocal arrangement that is completely fresh and different from anything they’ve produced in the past. “Protest Song” delivers what we’ve come to expect from BSS and is some of their finest work. ![]() She sings “You’re just the latest in a long list of lost loves, love,” harrowingly cutting lyrics that would curse any ex into months of gloom. Not actually a real protest song, its lyrics are cryptic yet powerful. It features a wall of sound with layers of guitars and effects, but never feels bombastic. Take “Protest Song,” a neatly structured pop song with plenty of musical complexities. Unlike the (dare I say overrated) aforementioned Quebecois band, these Ontarians rely on their own songwriting abilities to fill a track rather than grandiose, pretentious arrangements. ![]() ![]() Yet, Hug of Thunder avoids the melodrama and eccentricity that basically launched the more commercially successful Montreal-based Arcade Fire. “Halfway Home” in particular, however, stands out as being especially triumphant, a lot like a musical embodiment of a post-tennis match victory celebration: not in-your-face but still full of emotion. But whereas “Capture the Flag” fades gracefully into “KC Accidental,” immediately after “Sol Luna” we’re hit with a quick burst of energy with “Halfway Home.” And this sets up Hug of Thunder quite well, considering the album maintains a surging pace for most of its 52 minutes. “Sol Luna,” the album’s instrumental intro, reminds me a lot of “Capture the Flag,” the intro to their ambitious magnum opus You Forgot It in People. And even though their political leader is less orange and more progressive than ours, even Canada could use some BSS-induced optimism that we all love them for. Following their 2010 release Forgiveness Rock Record, Hug of Thunder is a warm and uplifting addition to darker times. Thankfully, those fears were put to rest earlier in May, though after a series of performances last year, the announcement wasn’t overwhelmingly surprising. Hug of Thunder comes as a surprise for fans who thought they would never hear another BSS album.
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