Zoo Rass Releases a Seminal Album for the Ages “T.E.N : The Essence of Nature”
StreamLINE Music Blog - Music Review - Zoo Rass - The Essence of Nature
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In a period in music where singles and EP’s dominate the landscape, reggae artist Zoo Rass has veered from the trends and delivered a masterful album project titled “T.E.N: The Essence of Nature”.
The album is a half-hour long collection, fittingly of ten spectacular tracks that contain a variety of sonic elements within the Afro-Caribbean spectrum including reggae, dancehall, afrobeats and R&B.
The title of the album carries a hint of symbolism as 2021 marks the 10th year that Zoo Rass has been an active recording artist.
“T.E.N: The Essence of Nature” is comprised of six brand new songs and four tracks which were previously released as singles or served as components of an EP release.
So hey, let’s dive a little deeper into our thoughts on this eclectic project.
What’s the Scoop on T.E.N: The Essence of Nature?
First off, let’s begin this by stating that there are absolutely no filler tracks on this album; no exaggeration!
Each of the ten songs hold their own independently and could each easily serve as a single release.
The cohesive flow of the album from track to track truly displays Zoo Rass’ skillful ear for arrangement.
In addition, he demonstrates his strong aptitude as a songwriter with the variety of topics touched on in the album and the creative ways that he conveys such topics and themes.
The Tracks of T.E.N.
The album opens up with ’10 Years’, a reflective intro track in which Zoo looks back on the challenges experienced throughout his career amidst doubters and naysayers while still achieving success in many areas such as critical acclaim and his music charting alongside reggae legends.
As always, Zoo Rass brings his distinct timbre and signature vocal delivery to the forefront.
From here, the project continues full speed ahead with the vibrant track ‘Did You Know’.
The song possesses a bright aural energy and its appeal is driven by a catchy chord progression which sounds similar to a steel drum but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
It creates a unique tone and texture for the song. Brilliant sound design and production.
‘Blessings’ is an encouraging ode as Zoo Rass speaks on appreciating the things in life we often take for granted such as family, friends and just life in general.
The song presents an important message to regard such things as true blessings and be thankful.
This is particularly significant given the last year and a half of global upheaval due to the pandemic.
The next track titled ‘Freak Dat’ stands out as the bona fide “gyalis” tune of the album.
‘Freak Dat’ is an infectious dancehall track that speaks for itself as Zoo Rass creatively changes his cadence and inflections mid flow in a playful manner while he delivers the boom tune lyrics.
This track also features the spit fire rap bars of Jaye Archer.
More Thoughts on T.E.N.
Almost midway through, the album’s sonic vibe shifts course somewhat with a trio of tracks that contain more of a fusion of R&B elements.
The trio of tracks begins with ‘Journey”, an insightful tune that touches on the people that stick with you through the course of your journey through life or path to achieving certain goals.
Then there is the pair of uptempo ballads ‘Time for You’ ft. S. Gee and ‘New Vibe’ ft. Anika Berry. These songs each have an undeniable danceability and are outstanding collaborative efforts between Zoo Rass and the respective feature vocalists.
‘Oh Nah Nah’ is a track familiar to Zoo Rass fans as it was previously released as a single and has racked up substantial numbers on Spotify. The song is Zoo Rass’ venture into the afrobeats space.
It contains a tremendous mashup of afrobeats style with dancehall elements featuring the vocals of Alhaji Currency and HERO.
The album then moves forward to the boommode track, ‘It Wasn’t Me‘, which is Zoo Rass and Willis Love’s innovative twist on the Shaggy and Rik Rok smash from 2000.
Zoo and Willis add a contemporary flair to the lyrical content and vocal presentation that captures the vibe of the original version yet redefines it as their own.
The album concludes with classic reggae vibes in the mashup Murder X Dreamgirl featuring the polished vocals again of Willis Love.
This song is a crafty composition of musician wizardry in which the combination of the two songs is done in a spectacular fashion.
Zoo Rass’ impeccable flow and Willis’ smooth delivery are backed by a lush core reggae instrumentation and choral harmonies.
Final Thoughts
“T.E.N: The Essence of Nature” is an incredible album in all aspects. The indelible project solidifies Zoo Rass’ reputation as an artist who dares to push the envelope.
T.E.N. is available on all streaming platforms (link below). Make sure you take the opportunity to check it out ASAP!
While you’re there, take a listen to the other music in Zoo Rass’ extensive catalog and follow him!
Listen to T.E.N: The Essence of Nature
T.E.N: The Essence of Nature
Listen to T.E.N: The Essence of Nature on Spotify. Zoo Rass · Album · 2021 · 10 songs.
Follow Zoo Rass
- Official Website : https://www.zoorassonline.com/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ZooRass/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoorass23
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zoohood23
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