South Carolina based band The Movement’s latest album, Golden, is a monument of modern reggae and showcases the prowess and potential of the ensemble. The album which is set to be released on April 8th, 2016 features something for just about everyone, with songs like “Rescue” and “Fair Warning,” The Movement has clearly mastered the art of combining reggae, rock and an anthemic melody consistent with their 2008 Set Sail album, but this time they have pushed themselves to expand that sound to a new frontier, while creating a stark difference between the two albums. And the product of all that is one hell of a record.
Even though there is a total of twelve tracks on this album, which may seem like a lot of time to fill, there is an unbelievable amount of accomplishments packed into it. Much like Set Sail, you’ll find something completely new with every listen. If there was just one track that sums up just how much of an accomplishment on Golden is it would have to be track six, which is called “Rescue.” The track is beautifully produced, but it also encapsulates just how each band member has grown as an artist in the relatively short time they have been a band compared to when they had just began to gain notoriety.
Golden is a representation of The Movement at the top of their game.
Guitarist and lead vocalist Joshua Swain reveals, “Golden is a representation of The Movement at the top of their game. We are so proud of this release and can’t wait to share it with the world. This is a record of many firsts. It was the first time we really did it the right way. We had the best producer and engineer, the best studio and creative environment, and we were sober and 100% focused. Being so clear-headed allowed us to put out the best ideas. I feel like it is our strongest record to date.”
Swain also adds, “I really started to like the idea behind the Fibonacci Code, the Golden Ratio, Golden Mean, Golden Spiral. I liked the idea of searching for order and commonality in the chaos. Add to that the idea of requiring a ‘heart of gold’ to inject beauty and goodness into the order and using the word golden as a synonym for perfect… It just made sense to me.”
The Fibonacci Code, or Fibonacci sequence Swain mentions is a series of numbers where, after two starting values, each number is the sum of the two proceeding numbers. For example 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5 and so on. The sequence has been used in the creation of visual art, architecture, music and even in finance. We won’t get into the details of the Fibonacci sequence, but here is a really great explanation and example of the Fibonacci sequence used in the song “Lateralus” from progressive rock band Tool. https://youtu.be/wS7CZIJVxFY?t=23s
Getting back on track, Golden is a impressive album that, if used as a representation of modern reggae, would not leave too many unsatisfied. It contains a good harmony between clean and vivid lyrics. The Movement created a soundscape of effortless rhythms in the backdrop as Swain pours his heart out with so much honesty and inspiration. One thing’s clear. The Movement is focused on the positives in life and they’re fully intent on letting us know why through an incredible package they put together titled Golden.
Preview and download Golden on:
Track listing
- Blinded
- Dancehall (feat. Mr. Williamz)
- Golden (feat. Elliot Martin)
- Fair Warning
- Smoke
- Rescue
- On Top (feat. Leilani Wolfgramm)
- Home
- Through the Heart
- Retriever
- Habit 2016 (feat. Collie Buddz & Bobby Hustle)
- Wild Time
The Movement Golden teaser video
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Release date April 8, 2016 • Copyright: 2016 The Movement • Label: Rootfire Cooperative
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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
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