Style: Experimental rock with a Jamaican flavor; compare to U2 meets Bob Marley
Top tracks: “Sing,” “Canaan,” “Surely”
Daniel Lanois has won critical acclaim as a producer for everyone from Emmylou Harris to U2, and he’s released a few well-received solo albums to boot. What he’s really always wanted, though, was to lead a killer rock-and-roll band. Enter Black Dub: Lanois provides layers of spooky studio atmospherics and a few guitar freakouts, while jazz drummer Brian Blade keeps things groovy with reggae-inspired beats. Soulful singer Trixie Whitley knocks spiritual anthems like “I Believe in You” out of the park; other highlights include “Sing”—an exhortation to make a joyful noise, either for yourself or “for the Holy Ghost”—and “Canaan,” a gospel paean to the Promised Land.
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