• Band / Artist : Natives of the New Dawn – mySpace
• Genre : Soul / Classic Rock / Hip Hop
• Sample Track Download : People
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8 out of 10

And now for something quite, quite different. This is one of those albums with a sound that gives the artist away within seconds of hearing it. Not only the distinctive music, but also the very distinctive vocals. I had to look up their mySpace page to see how they classify themselves, and it’s as “Soul / Classic Rock / Hip Hop”, in case you wanted to know. A very apt description actually, as the fusion of those different genres is seamless and very interesting, especially seeing as I’m not the greatest hip hop/rap fan.

I first came across Natives of the New Dawn via both the Daily Source Code and Accident Hash podcasts. Like a radio show, they covered them quite extensively for a period, which certainly raised awareness with me and I’m sure many new fans.

The album opens with the in your face “Flashback (Remember That)” which has the Native hallmark of the hip hop/rap style, rapid fire lyric delivery and when I say in your face, I mean straight up and personal, within seconds of starting. “Good Day” has a much lighter, more relaxed feel, and is one of the two tracks that’s been featured quite extensively on many podcasts, along with “People”. I actually much prefer the lighter side of the Natives tracks, rather than the all out verbal assault, but that’s not to say this is an album of two halves, it’s a quality assortment of tracks, that form an impressive debut outing.

A review often feels sort of empty, if I can’t identify at least a couple of standout tracks and here’s it’s pretty easy. “Wonderful Wonderment” is a great soulful, mellow track, along with “Don’t Deny”, which reminds me a lot of the famous track “Dust in the Wind” I think it’s called. The previously mentioned “People” and “Good Day” also get a special mention, as they are indeed fabulous tracks.

Conclusion : Quite a different sound from the norm, but all the more refreshing for it. An interesting marriage of styles, pulled off very successfully.