Katchafire
Say What You're Thinking
EMI


Katchafire, the virtually 600 member group from New Zealand, recently played tracks from their fifth album 'Say What You're Thinking' at the SXSW Music Festival to much acclaim. So strong is their reggae influence in New Zealand that locals have credited these guys with being sovereigns of the genre.

The title track kicks off the record with a jazzy and seductive flavour that will have you rushing to dim the lights and take the phone off the hook. Now Girl easily sashays in to slow the tempo down even further, despite the chorus being grammatically incorrect (but then that's all part of the charm). A gospel track, Doesn't Anybody, renders the album more mature as it incites a peaceful and calm mood, yet at the same time it conveys a powerful message of freedom and the joy of living.

It's about here that the record hallucinates with the poppy Mr Flava. This is the sort of music that would be played at a Peter Andre lookalike pageant, but that's not to say that the track is any less enjoyable. Another treat for pageant patriots lies in This World. With its thick caramel sounding vocals and slight New Orleans influence, it takes the flag for providing the quota of politically motivated music that seems to be compulsory in modern music.

If it's a pick-me-up track that you're after, you'll find it in Hold On. The soulful harmonies and laidback vibe complement each other perfectly and are guaranteed to break through even the most stubborn dark mood. Ultra Music sees the group getting back to reggae basics with dance invoking beats and sensual lyrics which showcase a slightly Hawaiian flavour.

While frequent repetition indicates that the group doesn't quite have the lyrical prowess of Bob Marley or Jimmy Cliff, they redeem themselves with potent harmonies and contagiously bouncy music.

Lucinda Scarman