Ed Rome-A Life In Minutes

So what if King Tubby and the Upsetters walked into an English pub saw the likes of Billy Bragg and other Pub Rockers, took each other home and made a love child? Well that child would be Ed Rome. This is the debut CD from Rome and he does an amazing job of blending English rock with old school Reggae to give the whole album an authentic Jamaican feel.

The album opens up with an organ driven number properly titled "The Way In". A Life In Minutes sucks you through a journey of heavy bass and organs, with some great guitar licks to go along with the reggae vibes. "Mind" is a gem with a English sounding guitar lick that kicks into a skinhead reggae sounding organ track. The songs lyrics are simple yet potent "You're spending too much time on the things you can't find" and it is a true story.

The whole album is full of melodic guitar licks over hypnotizing dub/reggae that you can listen to from start to finish and be like "hey it's over" start it over and not get tired of it. "Private Person", "March" and "What's Different" are two great examples of some instrumental dub that you can just get lost in thought with.

"Thatcher's Children" is an acoustic guitar driven track with some great saxophone fills. It has an up tempo feel that builds up only to slip back into a bottom and build you up again. "Nationality Speaks Softly" sounds like a dready version of a Pink Floyd tune, and that is a good thing. "Non Relationship Rant" is a funny tune about relationships that you're not sure what they are and has a zinger of a chorus. "Some Truth" is a song that starts off slow with a simple organ that again just draws you in as it picks up.

I could go on about this album, but honestly take my word it is "fucking beautiful" as I told Rockers Revolt's Sean Flowerdew. You should have this record in your collection. It brings new life to Jamaican music with an English touch. It is good for a Sunday drive, picking you up when you're down or just relaxing at home de-stressing from the day. You should know Ed Rome.

http://www.edrome.co.uk/