Stick Figure – Burial Ground
Track Listing:
1.) Breathe
2.) Golden Hour
3.) Burial Ground
4.) Women of the Night (feat. Half Pint)
5.) Hard Drugs
6.) Weight of Sound (feat. TJ O’Neill)
7.) Shelter
8.) Rocky Road
9.) Heartland
10.) Barrels
11.) Same Old Story
12.) Just Another Dream
13.) Coming Home
14.) Dreamland
The Pier Album Rating:
Release Date: June 12th, 2012
Official Website: Stick Figure Website
Group Background:
Scott Woodruff, the puppeteer behind the dub-twisted reggae most recently released “The Reprise Sessions” nearly two years ago. Now one of San Diego’s favorite reggae and dub perfectionists, Stick Figure has officially mastered this rather contemporary style with his fifth album “Burial Ground” on June 12th.
Stick Figure’s forte is crossbreed between an upbeat style of roots reggae and dub. For “Burial Ground”, Woodruff found inner-motivation through a variety of real-time experiences and travelling abroad. Five of the fourteen tracks were written by Woodruff and long-time friend TJ O’Neill while abroad. The two spent time in Indonesia, Australia, Fiji, Thailand, and New Zealand over the past few years, and found plenty of inspiration for original music.
Album Review:
Just in time for the summer, the highly anticipated album was written, recorded, and produced by the one-man-band and musical mastermind Scott Woodruff. The album represents a new milestone in Stick Figures musical growth and innovative abilities, with more layering, instrumental transcendence, and lyrical complexity than ever before. Featuring 14 new signature tracks, two of which feature vocal appearances by the legendary reggae singer Half Pint and long-time friend TJ O’Neill, Burial Ground is sure to be Stick Figure’s most well thought-out and inspiring album to date.
With his fifth self-written and produced album Burial Ground, Stick Figure rouses those otherworldly vibes through a matchless union of perfectionism, rhythm, and harmony. Front man Scott Woodruff stylized over 65 minutes of sweet-tempered reggae and dub, making Burial Ground his lengthiest effort.
Known for the use of thicker, more progressive basslines and a throbbing skank, Stick Figure has constructed a matchless island-type vibe in the reggae community. Furthermore, many of the songs are laced an echoic stratum to enhance this euphoric atmosphere. The instrumental track Dreamland, is a prime example of Stick Figure’s pensive themes and is an ironic capper to such an explorative collection of song-themes. The rest of album predictably endows messages of self-indulgence and relaxation, but also covers topics of love, conscious reflection, addiction, and more.
Much to the listener’s avail, Burial Ground debuts mostly original music, but he also covered a song created by a reggae legend in 1990. With his own unique twist, Stick Figure personalized a Gregory Isaac’s original, Hard Drugs with his own upbeat twist and vocal-work. Another sample includes Bob Marley’s “stiff necked fools” on the track Women of the Night” that features reggae sensation Half Pint.
A few of my favorites about love and the arrestive features of life are ”Heartland” and ”Breathe”. Both are driven by progressive drum rhythm and loads of percussion. This album is truly an extraordinary means to promote the heat and the other standards of the summer season.
Stick Figure obviously has created his own little groove in a growing scene with his past five albums. His digital renovation of modern reggae, roots, and dub in em> Burial Ground will indisputably please both new & longtime Stick Figure fans. Burial Ground is Stick Figure’s paramount, most detail-oriented album with a girth of feel-good tunes and positivity that could amend anyone’s dispositions about the stressful life. From my perspective, Burial Groundmay go down as one of the best albums of the year thus far.
Written & Reviewed By: Matt Emodi
[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]
