Positive Energy is not just the title of Alpha Blondy & The Solar System‘s new album: It’s a way of life. Surrounding yourself with negativity will only lead to negative outcomes, and this latest release from the highly regarded West African reggae vocalist will fill your life with well needed positive energy.
I must admit, I am no expert in reggae music. From what I do know, there’s always a positive tone and a carefree vibe that comes with it. Of course, I had been familiarized with the works of Bob Marley over the course of my life, and I had always been pleasantly impressed. When listening to Alpha Blondy, I got some of the similar good feelings that I get while listening to a Marley tune.
Alpha Blondy Opening Doors
The first track from his latest album Positive Energy is called “Rainbow In the Sky,” and if that isn’t already enough to put you in a good state of mind, I don’t know what is. It’s definitely got that Jamaican sound to it, and it seems to transport me somewhere very warm and tropical. It’s the perfect tune for a warm night like tonight (it’s only 72 but it’s a pleasant change in climate from what we’ve been having recently) and I’m anxiously awaiting to see what else I’m in store for.
“Freedom” is the second track and features Tarrus Riley, who provides a slightly more R&B sound to the track, which only helps to enhance Alpha’s soulful vocals. The message of the track is extremely powerful — although the song has a very upbeat sound, the meaning behind it is a bit more intense than the tune portrays.
“No Brain, No Headache” has a very rock and roll start to it. The drums in this one are more prominent than other Positive Energy tracks, but fade away a bit as the vocals start to merge their way into the song. The traditional reggae aspects are very much still there, but the track as a whole is much more complex than that. Blending together these different types of genres makes it a very exciting song to listen to. The accompanying music video is very simple in nature but also very attention grabbing, particularly with the transition from black and white scenes to brightly colored outfits and natural scenery.
“Madiba M’a Dit” is one of those songs that you don’t need to understand to really feel it. I must admit, I did get a bit of a Ska vibe when the track started out. That vibe lingers on throughout, but it becomes much more subtle as the song went on. Although the song is sung in what I think is French, the positive feeling that it brought to me while listening to it is both beyond language and undeniable. I had no idea what he was saying, and I was perfectly okay with it because, after all, music is something you’re supposed to feel.
“Ingratitude” is the song I figure I would close off with, because it is the song that caught my attention the most. Soft female background vocals play very well with the tempo of the track, and they also complement Alpha’s vocals in this one quite well. The tempo of this track would have to be the most upbeat of them all, and the incorporation of the sweet electric guitar numbers give you a completely unique listening experience.
You can listen to Positive Energy over on VPRecords today.
