by Harry Trewlany-Vernon

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band (BRSB) is a group that on face value is somewhat confusing. Originating from Hamburg a group centred around a blend of tropical steel and more traditional funk and soul. It is this eclectic combination of the album that really stands out, it’s an album that sounds distinct from anything you’ve heard before but after its 58 minutes its up it will certainly leave you yearning for more.

One track that shows off a lot of what’s great about 55 is PIMP. This is a cover of the 2003 50 Cent track from Get Rich of Die Tryin’. The track is good enough to fool many into thinking it is in fact the original instrumental sample used by 50 cent. But to credit it on this alone would definitely be selling the track short, the most interesting parts of the track are where it differs from the song it is seeking to cover. BRSB replaces 50 Cent’s vocals with a sax melody line. The sax line plays as if it were improvised. It’s effortless, yet the way it interplays with the steel drums highlights how masterfully written it is. This laid-back Sax playing appears right across the album such as in Bacao Suave. The sax lines, shown off in PIMP, really stands out as one of 55’s highlights.

But one shouldn’t be fooled, 55 is an album whose lead vocalist is percussion. The percussion in this album is of top standard, one can very much feel the inspiration Bjorn Wagner took from his months learning steel drums in Trindad and Tobago. Most of the melody lines are played on steel and accompanied by a range of percussive noise (including some pretty great xylophone lines in Round & Round). Where the percussion is at it’s best is where it interplays with the other instrumentation take Laventille Road March. Laventille Road March is an original track and for me, the best on the album, it starts with a shared melody line on bass and steel drums, taking it in turns to play the melody. This duet plays out across most of the tracks run time and the best word to describe it in simple terms is just that its groovy and you’ll want to loop it a few times.

So, there’s a lot to like in this album, particularly if your someone who loves percussive melody. But at the heart of the album there’s also a clash, which could put a few off. Essentially the clash is that this album has range of genres- reggae, funk and hip-hop but they’re all played with similar instruments and in a similar style always seeking to emphasise the steel drums. So, its hugely varied yet also in many aspects quite similar. So, if you put this album on and dislike the first track you hear, realistically you’re not going to find much you like in this album. 55 is built on those who enjoy music of this style and isn’t that inclusive on those who don’t. But if tropical beats, and textually rich tracks are up your street, then 55 is not one your going to want to miss.