Wassabi Collective

There’s a great album lurking on the edges of Nelson, BC’s Wassabi Collective’s sophomore effort, Stories Not Forgotten. At most times, this band knows how to ignite a groove with a lot of rhythmic drive and party-hearty energy. Funk-tinged reggae joints like "Blues On My Mind” and "Stories” rock the house, with Melissa Meretsky’s girlish lead vocals on top of the solid foundation of Jimmy Lewis’s drums and Scott Milne’s laidback, yet rock solid, bass playing. Unfortunately, some of these stories should be forgotten, such as "Almighty” and "Herb,” both roots-centred affairs that verge on parody thanks to some overly self-conscious vocals on the former and the now redundant theme of the benefits of marijuana on the latter. For the most part, Stories Not Forgotten is an entertaining transitional album. In the future, it will be interesting to see if Wassabi Collective can rock the house with more stimulating and progressive lyrical content.