I would like to begin with; I have seen Knights of the Dub Table live on numerous occasions, and thoroughly enjoyed their show, sound and set up. Plus, it must be said that this is not typically my ‘type’ of music. What follows is difficult for me to write, but their new song The Journey fails to take me anywhere. It is nowhere near their usual standard of music and I feel terrible saying that. Set at the higher end of dub reggae speed, there is none of the reggae we have come to expect from the ‘Knights’ and much more drum and bass. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but a number of things seem lacking to me.
The sentiment behind the lyrics is familiar and relatable. A very Kiwi approach to life. The vocals are clear, and well placed amongst the music. On the downside, there seems to be an attempt at rubato, which when used appropriately would have added to the dreamlike quality that seems to be the aim of this track. What ends up occurring is a feeling of the vocal line dragging. It feels to be about 4bpm too fast and the singer can’t keep up rather than the Jazz like quality I think they were going for.
Looking at the drum beat; it is a fairly typical, sampled drum and bass beat. It feels the Knights were going for a liquid drum and bass feel, but instead, it is passive and passé. There is one kick drum beat that is repeated throughout the whole song that makes the tune feel out of time. Due to the fact it is coupled with the dragging vocals, and dreamy guitar, and because the tempo is so locked in, what results is a syncopation that is uncomfortable. Halfway through the song, there is a build that makes you feel like the track is going somewhere, I got a bit excited here. Unfortunately, the drop doesn’t achieve the intensity you crave, instead turning back to the chilled, dreamy feel and no tingle in the soles of your feet that I desperately wanted to feel.
Over to the guitar, and here I can remain a little more positive. The licks are good, with a refreshing tone and there is some clean playing there. It is consistent with the dream like quality and I enjoyed the repetitive nature of it. The solo loses me somewhat. Whilst fast and accurate, it is slightly self-aggrandising. A little too much Joe Satriani shining through for me. But otherwise nicely done.
The song is missing the Knights typical horn section and the other live instruments that give their music the feel this song lacks. I pray and hope that this song will be toured with a complete live backline. It could give the feeling lacking in the song and make it more like porridge made with cream rather than water.
Review written by Tori Reed
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About the author Tori Reed
Born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, and having done a lot of travel, Tori has difficulty naming one place home. This affinity with being on the road has manifested itself in many songs and undoubtedly, being a wandering spirit, will do in many more. In December 2013, Tori released her first album “Long Nights, Flightless Birds and Coming Home” in Queenstown and quickly took the tracks to the UK on tour. Stay tuned for the next CD, recorded in the UK, and proposed to come out early 2015.
