Josh Heinrichs – Josh Heinrichs & Friends
Track Listing:
1.) Stand (feat. BW)
2.) Cant Get High (feat. Caleb Keolanui of The Green)
3.) New Love (feat. Clear Conscience)
4.) Rise Above (feat. Koko of Inna Visioin)
5.) For our Love (feat. Hani Totorewa of Katchafire)
6.) Pressure Drop (feat. Cas Haley)
7.) These Days (feat. 77 Jefferson)
8.) Sweetest Thing (feat. Clear Conscience)
9.) Poverty (feat. The Soul Riddim Band) [Live in Chicago 2009]
10.) New Love (Acoustic Version)
11.) Things Change Dub (feat. Richard Faught)
12.) Love In Our Community
(feat. Aston “Familyman”Barret of Bob Marley & The Wailers & 77 Jefferson)
The Pier Album Rating:
Purchase Album
Artist Background:
The reggae band, Jah Roots, was founded by Josh Heinrichs in 2001, along with four musician-friends from his hometown of Springfield, MO. Over the following eight years, they released five studio albums and toured extensively throughout the USA. Jah Roots had their collective spirits buoyed, when in the spring of 2009, it was announced that Josh Heinrichs would be moving forward & recording/performing as a solo artist. Shortly following his announcement, Heinrichs released, the appropriately entitled EP, Things Change & in July 2010, Heinrichs released the album Live in Hawaii.
Album Review:
Josh Heinrichs & Friends, is Josh’s first full length, solo album since disbanding Jah Roots in the spring of 2009 & features a hooray of guest appearances compiled together in a collaborative effort mixing & blending different styles of reggae with a collection of different artists. I’ve always been more drawn to songs, not to mention albums that would include guest appearances & collaborations. It’s always a special treat for me to come across any new release with an album or song introducing me to someone new or random in a guest spot. I know how difficult it is to coordinate guest appearances on songs which is why I appreciate the art in the final mix because it’s usually understood the extra time it took to make that project come to fruition.
Bass heavy & rich with roots, this album is best heard under a smoke cloud of your choice, tuning the stress of the world out from a long day. The album as a whole is very mellow & smooth. Songs like Rise Above featuring Koko of Inna Vision, stand out with its subtle, slow island style influence. Koko does a great job of bubbling over the song with his verse, complimenting Josh’s strong melodic vocals. Pressure Drop which features Cas Haley, is acoustically driven and reminds me of a bonfire acoustic jam with friends singing around the fire.
The album has everything from studio, acoustic to even a live recording collaboration w/ the Soul Riddim band with the track Poverty, but my only struggle with this album is that 6 of the 12 tracks are 5minutes or more. That’s not uncommon with roots reggae & I really shouldn’t be complaining considering the depth & musical brilliance of each track but I found myself connecting more with songs that didn’t run past 5minutes. Such as both tracks featuring Clear Conscience w/Sweetest Thing & New Love along with Cant Get High featuring Caleb of The Green.
A solid effort by Josh Heinrichs and as a fan of guest appearances and collaborations, i’d be looking forward to see who else Josh collaborates with in the future.
Written & Reviewed by:
Mike Patti
[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]