Sol Nation - Sol Nation (EP)
If there’s one thing Cat Empire proved, it’s that there is an audience for big, brassy party bands in Australia. The latest band to pick up on this cue is Melbourne’s Sol Nation. The septet’s debut EP brings together an eclectic yet competent mix of reggae, calypso, hip-hop, salsa and African dance music for a joyous and celebratory whole.
The EP’s opener Good Times is a good ol’ backbeat Jamaican reggae number and that ‘choppier than a butchers sideburns’ hook will have even the most jaded music geek tapping their foot in appreciation.
Forca, another standout, exudes calypso charm and would go perfect with a couple of lively Mojitos on a Sunday afternoon. Hey Mister, for my money, is the best on the EP; a kind of Latin-mambo keyboard extravaganza that both Tito Puente AND Herb Alpert would be proud of.
The band are let down somewhat by the production however, with the deep groove of the bass, so essential in this type of music often lost under various upstrokes and keyboard riffs. The energy and passion, that I’m sure comes across tenfold on stage, is still there though making this a solid debut EP, Sol Nation definitely come across as more of a live act than a recording band.
Listening to the EP, this reviewer could just imagine Sol Nation pumping out an energetic, cool set at the Byron Bay Beach Hotel on a Sunday arvo. That said, this debut EP is still a pretty solid release that is sure to get more than a few heads nodding and feet tapping.
