Auresia

Auresia

BY David DacksPublished Jan 28, 2009

No auto-tuners here. It's refreshing to hear a carefully produced reggae album that dispenses with the most current and obvious tricks of the trade. At times, this Montreal singer's debut is a thoroughly captivating disc, with more inventive hooks and melodic touches than most roots albums. When it all comes together on majestic tracks like the Augustus Pablo-flavoured "Jah Goddess" and the heartfelt and focused tribute to her mother, "Echoes of Fall," it's obvious that Auresia is a talent worth watching. Unfortunately many other songs suffer from awkward lyrical turns ("Weather is changing/so is my brain" in "Genuine Smile") or from a lack of finishing polish, especially in the freestyle vocalizations. The music and the mix are never at fault though. Every track on this album is deep and delicious, with bass sweetness and dub-informed production. All this adds up to a sometimes bumpy but ultimately successful first missive. No doubt the rougher edges will be smoothed out in subsequent recordings.
(MoonSplash)

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