A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
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Maktub Say What You Mean Release Date: 04/12/05 Score: 8.5 out of 10.0 |
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This music just doesn't come from Seattle -- The rock hotbed of Seattle has seen the likes of Jimi Hendrix in the 60s/70s, then the grunge scene of Mudhoney, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden (to name a few), and then the post-grunge emo kings Sunny Day Real Estate. Switch to the 21st Century, and you get the indie scene raising to pop glore taking place in the northwest with Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service, Shins, Decemberists, Modest Mouse and all that good stuff. But R&B? Seattle has never been known for this music but a few years back, the Reggie Watts-led Maktub dropped an incredible album, Khronos, the sophomore effort, which made heads turn and ears alive. Three years later, Reggie Watts, after releasing a solo album, and company are back with a third record, Say What You Mean, and it's rockin'!
While the previous effort used alot of synthesizers, and hip hop beats, the new record is alive with rockin guitars and drums. It'll make Lenny Kravitz fans envy because the loud sound packed with the vocal range of Reggie Watts is a thing to die for. Always compared to Al Green, Watts voice is the forefront of the band and his emotion and his four octave voice carry each song to the extremes.
"20 Years" is a blastin song and while the guitars and cymbals sometimes overweigh the vocals, it is uplifting and hard. "Promise Me" is a killer opening song which, right away, shows the new direction of Maktub.
Overall, this new record is power and fury. It's a nice addition to an already great collection of records for Reggie Watts and his bandmates. This is the new sound in pop-rock, and hopefully the persona of Watts will rise with this album.
-Anthony Nguyen
May 22, 2005
