Eric Rachmany is best known as the lead singer of Rebelution. In that role, he is known to write super-catchy reggae songs that can get you thinking and dancing simultaneously. Like a lot of artists, Rachmany has taken on a new challenge without abandoning the band that has kept him busy for the last decade and a half. His project Unified Highway with DJ-producer-remixer Amp Live is back with a new album, Headlines, and you will hear some of the reggae sounds for which Rachmany is known but there is far more to this album than just reggae.
You don’t have to go through much of the album to know that this album is an intersection of reggae, R&B, and hip-hop without falling firmly into any one of those categories. You can hear the reggae in the rhythms and the bounce of some of the melodies. Meanwhile, “Two Days” is a combination of 70s soul (in the horns) and 90s R&B (in the keys and rhythm). And if 90s R&B is your thing, you’ll love the cover of Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” that closes the album.
A couple songs feel like they would fit right into the Rebelution catalog. “The Session” features bass and keyboards are both pretty standard for a Rebelution tune. The lyrics have the chill vibe you expect from a reggae song, especially when Rachmany sings about “checking your aggression at the door”. “Unique” is another song that sounds familiar. Rachmany sings about having the strength to be yourself. This one does wander a bit from the standard reggae sound with some hip-hop vocals at the end. Even with that, it wouldn’t be out of place in a Rebelution set.
You wouldn’t be out of order to say that trip-hop is also a component of this album. You can hear it in “Fierce” when it opens with the gruff vocals of Courtney P that bring Buju Banton to mind. The song is driven by the beat and the low-end sounds and accented by some blooping synth sounds. About two-thirds of the way through the song, you hear some vocals (including reverb) from Courtney P, which are reminiscent of Massive Attack.
There is always risk in taking on a project like this. Namely, the artist is left to wonder if longtime fans will get behind something different. While reggae runs throughout the album, this is not a Rebelution album. However, as Rachmany sings in a Rebelution song, “I hope you find the courage to grow.” This album proves that Rachmany has done just that. With the help of Amp Live, he has flexed his creative muscles and made a very successful album that sounds different from what you’d expect.
One Response
Just an FYI, Rebelution actually had 2 singers on the first album Courage to Grow. Erik didn’t sing “I hope you find the courage to grow.”. That was their other singer Matt Velazquez who song on more than half the songs in the 1st album.