★★★½
Baysis the fourth album from NZ dub crew Fat Freddy’s Drop, and after 16 years in business, it’s a reasonably mature, well-polished affair.
The long-form jams from earlier releases are replaced with classic song structures and some newer influences coming to the fore, with soul, funk and even dance elements replacing the straight dub vibes they’re known for.
‘Wairunga Blues’ brings some slow funk to open the record, setting the pace nicely, while ‘Slings And Arrows’ and ‘10 Feet Tall’ are, despite the 8-bit intro of the former, some of the most traditional reggae we’ve heard from the band so far. ‘Wheels’ and ‘Cortina Motors’ up the tempo with a Balearic house feel and could easily feature in any opening club or chill-out set, while ‘Razor’ has almost Radiohead-meets-dub qualities. ‘Fish In The Sea’ brings some calypso to the table while still keeping the dub strong, and ‘Novak’ closes out with some old-fashioned slow soul.
There are still the epic ten-minute-plus tracks they’re known for, yet Bays is a varied and textured listen.
The journey is consistent, however, and it will be great to catch these songs (or loose variations of them) live, which is where this band is at home.
Bays byFat Freddy’s Dropis out via The Drop/Remote Control.
