880 South

Youth Bus Sessions

Dub Rock Records

(880 South MySpace)

The album title may refer to younger days (Youth Bus Sessions), but the follow-up to Beware is a natural and more mature outing from this San Jose outfit. Right from the get-go we get the excellent Apartment 28, a well told trip down vocalist Weege’s memory lane and while the names and places may be personal, the imagery he creates is something everyone can relate to.

While YBS is a more relaxed affair, 880 South can’t avoid its Floppy Rod roots and there is some solid funk to the backbone of jams such as the horn-backed Goin’ South, the nasty Sex on the Beach and the popping It’s So Easy. It’s this funk meets reggae crossover that gives 880 South its original sound and one that is taken to even more diverse levels as the soul meter reaches red hot on the honest Baby Has Got to Eat, City Gone Mad and the album highlight Something About Truckee. Such a powerful and lingering track.

As accomplished musicians, 880 South has also never been a band to shy away from throwing in a surprise curveball here and there. This time round the band cuts loose on Amigos Borrachos, a Mexican inspired surf rock romp – that is way too much fun.

Musically Beware was such a strong debut album, obviously - as the band member's involved in its creation had already been doing this music thing for a long time before recording it. And while YBS is not leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, it is a slightly more satisfying offering. Weege and the boys have done good.

Reviewed by Pilipo