Reggae rockers Rebelution have released their fifth studio album, Falling Into Place. The Santa Barbara-based group has been making music together for more than twelve years and has managed to maintain a consistent sound without going stale. Released on the band’s own 87 Music label in partnership with NYC’s Easy Star Records (just as with their last album “Count Me In”), Falling Into Place is a cohesive display of bandmates rooted in reggae, yet comfortable enough to experiment with their collective influences, including dancehall, hip-hop, and funk.
Listen to the album below, streaming via Spotify.
Never shy about singing for and about the ladies, frontman Eric Rachmany delivers racy lines like “Slap on some reggae, get the room to bubble up / So I can work your body from sundown to sun up” in the sensual tune “Pretty Lady.” The equally sultry “Santa Barbara” is a love song dedicated to a wild-eyed one that got away, as well as the city where it all began for Rebelution. “Upper Hand” bemoans a power struggle, and while some critics have been quick to call this track “pop”-y, others have come to the band’s defense to explain that what we’re hearing is traditional Jamaican dancehall-inspired beats. Speaking of haters, Rachmany explained on his live stream of the album this past Thursday, that the opening track, “Know It All,” is a big middle finger to all those who spew hate online, hiding cowardly behind their computer screens. Preach it! (Before learning this, the fan theory that this song was about Donald Trump was also hilariously viable…)
A Rebelution album would be incomplete without a solid ganja anthem or two, and “Inhale Exhale” is just that. This song features Jamaican reggae artist Protoje, and gives a shout-out to the impressive lift provided by cannabis from California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and of course, Jamaica. Nothing will quite top 2007’s “Green To Black,” but it’s still a dope track that will no doubt incite the urge to spark one up, if you hadn’t already.
Things get personal on “Those Days,” which Rachmany professed is his personal favorite, and features a chord progression he developed before Rebelution even existed. This autobiographical track really gives listeners a peek into the frontman’s upbringing in San Francisco. Influenced by the Bay area rap, hip-hop, and funk of his childhood, “Lay My Claim” is his second favorite, and is both inspirational and cocky (in the best sense of the word). The album concludes with “Breakdown,” a cautionary tune pleading us to slow down and enjoy time, as we have it.
Overall, Falling Into Place delivers the feel-good vibes we’ve grown to depend on, along with fresh energy and the confidence that comes from being one of the most well known and loved reggae roots bands in the game. This release, combined with a supporting summer tour, will assuredly capture the hearts of a wide array of old and new fans all across the country.
You can purchase a physical or digital copy of the album here. Sit back, relax, and let the music get up in ya!