Artikal Sound System
Welcome to Florida
Controlled Substance Recordings
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to escape now and then. There’s so much going on these days that sometimes I just want to run away to a place where the sand is warm, the rum drinks are cold, and the music is super chill. A lot of times, we can’t run off to a tropical paradise. We’re stuck being responsible people, no matter how much we hate adulting. That’s where this little disc from Artikal Sound System comes in handy. Plug these tunes into the sound system and take a virtual vacation.
Artikal Sound System is a reggae-infused band from Delray Beach, Florida. Guitarist Chris Montague and bassist Fabian Acuña have been backing up various Caribbean singers since 2012. The transition from backing band to headliner came when they added the girl next door (literally), Logan Rex. With all the pieces in place, it was time to get their own songs out, which brings us to their debut, Welcome to Florida.
Welcome to Florida has some nice pop and rocksteady sounds. “Pull Me Close” is a nice pop song that should be blasting from car radios cruising South Beach. “When I Wanna” is a cute stoner anthem, with Logan confessing, “I won’t lie, I went to bed high last night.” The guys get sort of serious with “Cops and Robbers” (“Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. Don’t end up on the wrong side of the knife. Things get heavy when you’re treading water. You can stay lucky your whole life”).
I must confess that my absolute favorite tune on Welcome to Florida is “You’re an Asshole.” It’s a nice, easy skanking tune with Logan politely dissing some fool. I love how she sings, “You’re an Asshole. I mean it in the nicest way possible. I know you think it’s cute but you’re impossible.” Too bad the song violates all those FCC community guidelines because I’d love to hear this on the radio.
