Tommy Dubs – Manana Del Sol
Track Listing:
1.) AEIOU
2.) Revenge of the Knob Twisters
3.) Break Me Down
4.) She’s a Runaround (Feat. Horace Martin)
5.) Bolivar
6.) Take It or Leave It (DUB)
7.) We Will Walk
8.) Wont Be Coming Home (Demo)
The Pier Album Rating:
Release Date: December 27th, 2011
Official Website: Tommy Dubs Website
Group Background:
Emerging out of his dusty broken-down sound shack, producer Tommy Dubs delivers a diverse blend of international flavors with a foundation based in the roots of his enclave, Ocean Beach San Diego. Spinning tales of love and dread, Tommy Dubs translates future-dancehall, hip-hop, Latin, psychedelic, rock, and electronic bass bin burners into lazy summer jams and midnight dance floor fillers.
Tommy Dubs paired with Seismic Leveler as his backing band has been busy playing all over San Diego. Tommy recently took on a “30 songs in 30 days” challenge and ended up with enough material for two full-length albums. The companion album to Take What You Want, Manana De Sol will be available for digital download only on December 27th.
Album Review:
Tomorrow The Sun is the literal translation of Tommy Dubs companion album following Take What You Want, which was released yester week. With the companion album Manana Del Sol, Tommy Dubs ventured deeper into the dub genre, implementing echoic but heavy drum progressions and other psychedelic effects.
Bolivar is an indication that Tommy Dubs understands the Dub genre, saturating the song with a multi-part drum kit featuring plenty of hi-hats and other distinctive percussion elements. One verse Tommy goes on to sing about a strange Russian lady in her neighborhood. Tommy’s voice and the overall chain of harmonies of the song give the song a very ominous feel to it. “Break Me Down” is my favorite, which also another dub track is saturated with electronic hi hats. “If I could be anyone, I would be a better version of me”, hinting at a message of being isolated from happiness.
Tommy also includes a dubbed version of “Take It or Leave it”, which was originally planted on his primary release Take What You Want. Tommy’s drinking song, “Won’t be Coming Home” is featured on both albums and honestly belongs in some generic college drinking movie. The demo version featured on Manana Del Sol is a little less lively.
Overall, Tommy Dubs made no mistake by planning two releases in a week’s time. The two albums presented two different sides to the San Diegan’s musical repertoire. Manana Del Sol boasts Tommy Dubs’ skills and creativity on the computer while Take What You Want includes a more instrumental and reggae foundation. Through Tommy Dubs music and solo inventiveness, he was able to release two solid releases that demonstrate how musically-oriented the man actually is.
Written & Reviewed by: Matt Emodi
You can read The Pier’s official album review of Take What You Want by clicking HERE
[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]
