Ruben Bertrands takes listeners on an entrancing trip through a multitude of scenarios of life in his latest album, The Other Side Of The Coin. His use of old-school techniques of the well-known genres of blues, soul, and folk rock alongside new-age musical tactics create an atmosphere of energy for listeners of all ages and places to enjoy. With each track, a new story filled with spice, love, loss, or joy is unlocked, with more of Ruben Bertrands’s experiences being unveiled to the audience.
The opening track of Ruben Bertrands’s The Other Side Of The Coin, titled “Jumpin’ Turnstiles,” sets the psychedelic tone of the album as clear as possible. Whether it’s the mix of funky ambiance sounds accompanied by folk instruments and high echoes, or the overall spacing of all the sounds making it feel like a massive wave of groove, Ruben creates a track that feels in all ways, trippy. This song is then remade with a slower, more relaxing speed in “The Tombs,” incorporating the same ambiance for the listener to feel the song’s emotion with little lyrics being used.
Everyone can appreciate a good reminder of the authentic music our older generations would listen to in their primes. Ruben Bertrands is able to recreate this style in his latest album, with multiple tracks on The Other Side Of The Coin serving as callbacks to the way music used to be in the olden days. Hits on the album like “Going Down Slow,” “Cafe De Levante,” and “Revue” give the listener that classic blues and swing, incorporating guitar, ivory keys, a strong walking bassline, and even some harmonica to replicate that jazz style we all know and love. There’s also tracks like “Second Line Fever” which replicate that feel-good southern soul, bringing with it high energy that makes you want to clap and stomp along, jump and shout, and “boogie down”! These tracks are able to get a listener to feel something within them with mainly just instruments and rhythm, painting a vivid picture of the old-school music scene in modern times.
Even still, Ruben Bertrands can capture that newer style of folk rock and spread it for his audience to enjoy. One of the standout tracks of The Other Side Of The Coin has to be “Belle Of The Bog.” This song is written to scratch every right part of your brain and stay in your head for weeks on end. In what feels like an ode to Santana, “Belle Of The Bog” presents itself as a sultry tango-rock fusion that creates an ominous yet intriguing atmosphere for the listener to strut into. The tension created by lyrics like “but you know baby, you’re running out of time” alongside Hispanic percussion and a groovy bassline blend together to create a track that makes you want to dance along to.
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By far the most powerful statement song of this album, “Big Wave” serves as a classic rock track that can be enjoyed by anyone at any moment. This song is filled with groove through a sharp electric guitar and a smooth bass and drum duo mixed in with some folk aspects and even a little bit of harmonica. Ruben Bertrands uses this song as a statement piece to tell a story of love and passion while being as interactive as can be. The track makes you want to get up, dance, clap, and sing along with its catchy chorus and vocal hooks, presenting nothing short of a fun time.
Overall, Ruben Bertrands has created a track list of songs that fuse the classic styles of blues and folk rock with modern rock and psychedelic music to create an album that takes you on a ride through his mind, making you feel heightened emotions as you see and listen to The Other Side Of The Coin.
Written by Samuel Mujica
