I do not have a lot of experience with reggae music. The little bit that I know comes solely from the iconic Bob Marley, which is to say I only recognize about three of his most famous songs. However, I do have a little knowledge of ska-punk and while I know they are not the same, there are heavy influences of reggae in ska-punk. That’s basically what makes up the genre. It’s a punk mentality, or pop-punk for some groups, mixed with lots of brass and often the vibe of reggae music.
The track More Music, written and performed by Lola Rising really seems to have that mixture. The lyrics suggest that they have a message and purpose to their music, which is something I can get behind. It’s always great to know what a band wants and stands for. My biggest issue with the song though, is in fact, the lyrics. They come off as very generic and cliché throughout the entire song. They’re very straightforward and obvious, which isn’t innately a bad thing. But I feel that in this circumstance, it kind of feels like the band is forcing the lyrics down my throat because it is so blatantly telling me what to do. At least, that is the feeling that I get from it. Someone else could easily think the opposite and find the lyrics subtle. Having that time of balance is good for reaching a large number of listeners.
The absolute best part of this track is the music itself. The instruments blend perfectly together. I don’t know how long this group have been working together but I honestly think it sounds like they know each other extremely well. Either they practice an immense amount of time or they simply read each other’s minds. It’s extremely impressive. Some bands I listen to play together, and they are good, while others are like a complete puzzle with all the pieces in place. That is the sign of a long future together.
The instrumentation is the star on More Music. Each individual element is unique and different but adds the perfect ingredient to the sound. Sometimes when you have too many things in one song, it can get over-crowded and become muddled. Not with this song. Everything is just the way it should be. They feed off of each other wonderfully. The intricacies are woven together creating this beautiful sound that compliments the vocals very nicely.
The singer has a very clear, smooth voice. He sounds young, which is good. It means he has a lot of skill already, plus lots of room to keep improving. His delivery is a little bland but heart-felt. It sounds to me like the lyrics honestly mean something to him, as well as the band itself. It’s refreshing for me to hear such a clear vocal approach since I don’t often lean towards that in my preferred music of choice.
Overall, More Music is a decent song. It does everything it sets out to do. It has wonderful, danceable instrumentation, a good vocal delivery, lyrics that work for what it is trying to accomplish, and all of those elements succeed when brought together here. It’s a good effort but could use a little work.
https://www.instagram.com/lolarisingmusic/
Written by PhantomAngel
