Trevor Hall
Trevor Hall
Vanguard Records
Coming from Vanguard Records, one of the best labels for Americana and roots/rock, Trevor Hall’s self-titled album was a little bit of a shock. It’s more reggae than Americana. The album overflows with a relaxed attitude and the feeling that, as Hall puts it in “Who You Gonna Turn To,” “World’s burning, burning up the sky/ Eye for an eye, wise man said leave the whole world blind/ Flow down the river until you’re free and you’ll see Love Devine.”
His “all good” sentiment continues through the rest of the album, highlighted by the stellar acoustic poppy reggae rap “Unity.” Hall dreams of when he can “drift away to that sacred place/ Where there’s no more you and me/ No more they and we/ Just unity.”
A couple of high-profile artists lend their talents to his album. The equally sunny Colbie Caillat sings backup on the slow-danceable “The Lime Tree” (although you would never know it without reading the liner notes). And in the perfect guest spot, Hasidic Jewish rapper Matisyahu throws in a verse on the remix of “Unity.”
I have to admit, I have never been a fan of reggae; it just doesn’t do it for me. But Trevor Hall has combined the Americana sound that I love with reggae to form a truly unique sound that both alt-country fans and Rastafarians can not only appreciate, but also enjoy. That’s the sign of a talented artist.
Trevor Hall: http://www.trevorhallmusic.com
