Indubious – From Zero
Track Listing:
1.) He Who Has Ears
2.) Rocketship
3.) Golden Ones (feat. Sizzla Kalonji)
4.) Free Up
5.) Don’t Lose Sleep (feat. Vaughn Benjamin)
6.) See Sharp
7.) If You Follow
8.) Sheep of Conformity
9.) Wednesday
10.) Perfect
11.) School Again
12.) Root Down (feat. Zahira)
13.) We Got Vibes
14.) Sky High
The Pier Album Rating:
Release Date: June 30th, 2017
Record Label: Righteous Sounds Productions
Official Website: Indubious Website
Artist Background:
The story of Indubious is truly unique as it is triumphant. A reggae roots-tronic family affair, brothers Evton and Skip Burton were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, and were given a life expectancy of 18 years. Fast forward more than a decade later and both brothers are thriving and riding momentum in life through their music. With their latest release, the Oregon based reggae ambassadors are now five records into their discography, and From Zero marks their first record since 2014 after getting used to the cadence of releasing a new album almost every year dating back to their earlier days. The full Indubious quartet is comprised of brothers Evton and Skip Burton, Teddy Presberg and Corey Foster.
Album Review:
From Zero is highlighted by its production and its simplicity. There’s nothing too over the top or exceptionally groundbreaking on this record, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying the album and never once thought about skipping-to-next-track across its 14 songs. Listeners will find the tracks are ripe with heavy basslines, moments of echoing vocals and electronic influences.
“See Sharp” was an incredible surprise for me. As a fan of all things ambient, the instrumentals about made me jump out of my chair when I first heard the track. Felt very much like an Emancipator or Team Sleep intro, and carries the torch for the rest of the track once accompanied by vocals and further layers of instrumentals. “Golden Ones” stands out as one of the album-defining tracks – you can thank the contributions from Sizzla Kalonji for that, as well as the electronic undertones that get paired with the dub accents and harmonious vocals.
A constant theme and takeaway I found while listening to From Zero was the dichotomy between up-tempo and slower track transitions that seem to alternate throughout the duration of the record.
Might just be me, but there are a few head-scratchers on the record – “Free Up” is a good song, but in terms of synchronizing with the rest of the album it felt a little lost to me. The only other division I felt on the record was potentially the order of the tracks — “Sky High” was an interesting selection to conclude the record with, given the aggressive EDM moment towards the latter half of the track. It certainly works, but this was more unique in my opinion that would have been better suited to stand out towards the middle portion of the record.
All-in-all, From Zero is worthy of your time and makes a solid addition to your musical repertoire. Truthfully, I had not listened to them previously until I stumbled upon the new release. I’ve been converted into an Indubious fan and also traveled back in time to fire up previous releases after hearing From Zero. The story of the Burton brothers is one of triumph and overcoming adversity, and listeners should consider themselves lucky for getting a chance to hear this record.
Written & Reviewed By: Brian Glaser
[Editors Note: All reviews are reflective of the album in it’s entirety, from start to finish. These reviews are the honest opinion of each writer/reviewer expressing their feedback as a genuine fan of the music. Each star rating reflects their review of the album, NOT the band. Music is subjective. Regardless of the review or star rating, we encourage you to listen to the music yourself & form your own opinion. Spread the awareness of all music in its art & contribution]