Dating back to the early 2000s, London’s nine-piece band Gentleman’s Dub Club’s latest prolific output titled The Big Smoke takes the front seat experimenting with everything from dub, ska and roots reggae. Gentleman’s Dub Club have broken through to the UK circuit, rocking gigs and festivals up and down the country with their super high energy shows which translates into their latest installment.
Album opener “Music Is the Girl I Love” is a nice place to start and plays right into what we’ve gotten used to hear from GDC over the years. “Bad Girl” and “Extraordinary” also felt right on brand. The Big Smoke yearns to be played from start to finish—not broken up into playlists or set to “shuffle.” The transitions between each track are seamless and plays smoothly throughout.
The album has plenty of high points. While “Music is the Girl I Love” takes the crown, the shimmer of “Bad Girl” and the rootsy splendor of “Extraordinary” leave their mark. The Big Smoke is undoubtably filled with fun, catchy beats throughout.
Having received solid reviews and thousands and thousands of “Likes” entirely across the social media board proves that Gentleman’s Dub Club is doing something right. Partnering with monster indie label Easy Star Records and collaborating with UK reggae singer Natty on “One Night Only” and tenor sax super star Josh Archoleo on the track “Nocturnal,” these two ballads are bold and demanding with instrumentals so naturally luxurious and powerful.
Gentleman’s Dub Club will be touring extensively in 2016 with dates for the UK already in place for late 2015.
Preview and download The Big Smoke on
Track listing
- Music Is the Girl I Love
- One Road
- Bad Girl
- Earthquake
- One Night Only (feat. Natty)
- Extraordinary
- Enter the Chamber
- Pressure
- Afraid of the Dark
- Nocturnal (feat. Josh Arcoleo)
- See Them
Gentleman’s Dub Club “Music is the Girl I Love”
Released November 13, 2015 • Easy Star Records
Share this article
or
Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
Get music updates in your inbox