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Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

1997

Maverick A Strike

Album Summary

Maverick a Strike is the debut studio album by Scottish musician Finley Quaye. It was released on 6 August 1997 through 550 Music and Epic Records. The album spawned five singles: "Sunday Shining", "Even After All", "It's Great When We're Together", "Your Love Gets Sweeter", and "Ultra Stimulation", all of which charted on the UK Singles Chart. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. The album has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.84

Votes

5574

Genres

  • Reggae
Reviews
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Thu Jul 15 2021
3

I have some issues with Maverick A Strike. Finley Quaye's take on dub and reggae is so light it almost floats away; he makes someone like Alpha Blondy look like an exemplar of hardcore roots reggae, which takes some doing. While I was listening to this album, my immediate thought was, \"This is some Brit pretending to be a Jamaican,\" and it turns out that I was almost right. Finley Quaye is actually a born and bred Scot. He can't even claim to be a 2nd generation Jamaican because his dad was born in London and has Ghanaian roots. Now, this is not the same as what bands like The Specials were doing, because it was clear they were playing Brit fanboy versions of their favorite music. Rather, Finley Quaye is trying to pass himself off as a Jamaican singer. This is a little like someone putting on a Southern drawl to sing country when they were raised in Newark, NJ or Michael McDonald trying to sing soul. To be clear, I'm not offended or anything. Hey, if Finley Quaye can pull it off, more power to him. And he almost can, but his singing is by far the weakest element in Maverick A Strike. I suspect you could throw a rock in Jamaica and hit someone with more dub and reggae skills.Which brings me to the music itself. While, compositionally speaking, these songs are as simple as nursery rhymes, they sound amazing. I fully expected to find some star producer calling the shots in the background, but surprisingly, given his weakness as a singer, all of this is due to Finley Quaye himself! He arranged all of the tunes and wrote the originals. And the band consists of his buddies instead of studio musicians. His half-brother was a guitarist with Elton John, so that gives some indication of the pool of talent he had available. And you've got to give credit to Quaye for how tastefully and naturally he has managed to incorporate rock, soul, pop, and triphop touches into the dub and reggae. I've never heard this particular combination of genres--it's wholly original, and pretty darned cool. And the sound! There isn't one horrible sounding synth patch anywhere! The horns and strings are tastefully arranged, never overwhelming the slight songs.If Quaye had been as gifted a composer and singer as he is a producer and arranger, Maverick A Strike would have been a masterpiece, but I'm sorry to report that, as it is, Maverick A Strike is just listenable.

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Mon May 24 2021
2

Feel like I should be sat drinking lattes and reading the guardian in a penthouse flat in Chorlton on a Sunday morning in the 90's.

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Fri Nov 12 2021
1

This album struck a wrong chord with me, a Scottish musician with Ghanaian roots playing pseudo reggae with a fake Jamaican accent. I was born in Jamaica so I just found it to be so wrong from the get go. This was a big miss for me

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Mon Jul 12 2021
1

This is the first 1 I've encountered where I was completely unfamiliar with the subject matter. The vocals feels completely divorced from the music and both are absolutely inane. This is directionless and passionless and reflective of bad 90s reggae in general. I have no idea how this made the list.

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Wed May 12 2021
5

Fantastic album👌🏽 The track Even After All was especially good.

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Fri Oct 09 2020
4

Quite enjoyed it, a groover for sure, lots of tracks that get better as you listen to them start to hypnotize the ears. Standout Tracks: It's Great When We're Together, Ride On and Turn the People On, The Way of the Explosive, Supreme I Preme, I Need a Lover

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Wed Dec 22 2021
4

Super mellow and smooth, especially for a Sunday afternoon. Very chill with hypnotic (but not numbing) vocals.

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Sun Jan 16 2022
4

Though it came out in `97, I always associate this album with the middle of 1998. At the time, this album along with Eagle Eye Cherry's Desireless and Ian Brown's Unfinished Monkey Business were my Sunday afternoon chill out albums. Shaking off the hangover from the night before they hit the rest button before I went off and did it all again. I remember getting paid out for liking these albums but they were important to me at the time. Listening with fresh ears after not having played Maverick a Strike for over a decade, the parts I loved are still as good as I remember. Flawed in places, it still deserves the acolasdes it got in Britain and I wish it took off more in Australia.

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Wed Jun 30 2021
3

Surprisingly tolerable

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Mon Apr 26 2021
3

I was not familiar with this guy and really liked this, particularly on a sunny Sunday.

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Mon May 17 2021
3

Un mélange de soul et de reggae sur fond d'ustensiles de cuisine ; Finley Quaye a réussi son pari. Tout y passe : les casseroles, les poêles, la râpe à fromage... on peut même entendre un épluche-légume marquer le rythme sur plusieurs morceaux. Un véritable tour de force.

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Wed Dec 22 2021
3

Ah, more like it, some traditional Scottish music. It's the sound of late 90s sophistication again. Nice enough lite reggae with a sprinkling of trip hop. Inoffensive.

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Fri Oct 01 2021
2

It's very pleasant. Sunny. Lyrics not always sunny. Like the production in headphones. Red Rolled and Seen is good. Sone interesting stuff going on here.

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Fri Oct 15 2021
2

I don't know what's more interesting - the cultural history of the Ga-Dangbe ethnic group of Ghana, from which Quaye's father is from; or the fact that Quaye once headbutted a terminally ill friend in an argument over Game of Thrones. I'll tell you what is not most interesting. This album. I mean, I think he probably thought he was making interesting music, but I didn't find it interesting.

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Thu Jan 20 2022
2

Pretty chill reggae, but including this while having 0 Toots & The Maytals albums should be illegal.

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Thu Jan 28 2021
5

Loved it

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Wed Apr 28 2021
5

Definitely in the top ten of my favourite albums of the 90s. An absolute Eton Mess of styles and sounds all mashed together deliciously.

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Thu Apr 08 2021
5

Amazing album!

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Sun Feb 06 2022
5

Dope

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Sun May 08 2022
5

Zonnige zomervibes en feel good reggae muziek. Met veel plezier naar geluisterd

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Fri Aug 19 2022
5

This one is nostalgic for me

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Fri Aug 19 2022
5

Loved listening to this again.

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Thu Sep 01 2022
5

Smooooooth AF

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Mon May 10 2021
4

Super quality reggae, much needed

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Tue Jun 01 2021
4

quite nice and musically not just the simple cliche reggae everyone knows

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Fri Feb 05 2021
4

Damn good reggae tunes

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Fri Jan 29 2021
4

Like it. No stand out songs, but overall good-mood music. Probably liked Sunday Shining best.

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Sat Jul 17 2021
4

A good Reggae album

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Fri Jan 29 2021
4

Jammy, psychedelic reggae. I liked it.

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Sat Apr 10 2021
4

false

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Thu Apr 08 2021
4

🌴

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Sun Feb 21 2021
4

This one is going on the playlist

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Sat May 29 2021
4

Solid reggae grooves

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Tue Jul 20 2021
4

Reggae muy fino, estoy seguro que le encantaría a mi Johnny Greenwood.

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Thu Jan 28 2021
4

Grooooovy (reggaeish)

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Sun Jul 04 2021
4

Would be 3 now, 5 when it came out. Not dated that well as I find the voice a bit irritating

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Wed Jul 07 2021
4

I enjoyed this way more than I expected I would. Great beats and fun vibes all around.

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Wed Jul 07 2021
4

Liked it! A little groovy, liked his voice. Sunday Shining was my favorite song.

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Tue Jun 29 2021
4

Fun album with innovative production, and a great vocalist. Didn't blow me away but still a great album!

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Fri Aug 06 2021
4

Fantastic find

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Fri Aug 13 2021
4

I didnt know what to make of this album - but loved it, some really great tracks on it. A great discovery this one.

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Thu Sep 23 2021
4

Pretty catchy smooth jazzy.

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Thu Oct 07 2021
4

Great album. Really enjoyed listening to this one again.

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Fri Nov 12 2021
4

Finley has a beautiful voice and knows how to write catchy tunes. I had "The Sun is Shining' on high rotation back in the day and there are a bunch of other great songs here, though the CD is a bit front-end loaded. He dips in and out of reggae the way k-os dips in and out of rap.

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Thu Nov 18 2021
4

I've never heard of this dude at all, but this music is great. Right up my alley. Some cool funk/reggae vibes.

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Tue Nov 23 2021
4

Meh, some bangers bood as a whole not that good

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Thu Nov 25 2021
4

I don't know much 'modern' reggae and don't often listen to it, but this is good stuff. I can see myself listening again in the right mood.

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Thu Dec 02 2021
4

Wow! Did not expect this. Fantastic listen

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

This might be the most recent reggae album I've ever listened to. Really deep grooves here.

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Mon Dec 20 2021
4

Nearly gave this 5 stars for sentimental reasons, spent many a hazy afternoon listening to this in the 90's. Really enjoyed playing it again.

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Wed Dec 22 2021
4

Loved it. I knew Quaye from Massive Attack and Tricky, but this was the first time I have listened to this album. Sunday Shining must have been on a soundtrack or mix tape or something. Def a good bop. Very listenable album, but some of the tracks were just a little too empty of sonic or emotional value to make this a true five. A *lot* of highlights, though.

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Thu Jan 13 2022
4

I dig this, smooth, mellow

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Fri Jan 14 2022
4

Great album, r&b, reggae influences

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Wed Mar 09 2022
4

gosh i love when i am caught off guard for an album! this album was so mellow to listen to. perfect for a workday. some real gems could be found--"sunday shining" is such a beautiful song, full of hope. "i need a lover" reminds me deeply of prince. i love this combination of blues, reggae, soul, jazz in this album. such creativity! i am looking forward to listening to this again.

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Thu Mar 31 2022
4

I'd never heard of Finlay Quaye before and did not know what to expect. I found it an absolute delight, a terrific mix of reggae and pop unlike anything else I've heard. Really enjoyed it.

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Fri Apr 01 2022
4

I wasn't expecting much from this but really enjoyed it. It sounds very Bristol influenced. A bit dubby, a bit trip-hoppy. Thumbs up. Smiley face. Sun is shining emoji.

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Thu May 26 2022
4

This is a really nice discovery. Fantastic mix of reggae and trip hop that sounds amazing. Beautiful production and I love his voice; sort of a mix between Winston Rodney's gravely intensity and Gregory Isaac's silky smoothness. 4.5 🌟

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Fri Jun 24 2022
4

A dub and reggae album with flourishes of the then-contemporary sounds; this is a rather ambitious and auspicious debut album from 1997, a year chock full of ambitious albums that looked toward the future rather than mine from the past. Maverick A Strike seems to have gone under the radar, which is a shame seeing as though it is looking to be re-discovered and re-evaluated as it should. A hidden gem, for sure. Favorites: Ultra Stimulation, It's Great When We're Together, Sunday Shining, The Way of the Explosive, Your Love Gets Sweeter, Sweet and Loving Man.

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Wed Aug 10 2022
4

Let's be honest, it's soft rock/Reggae from a Scotsman trying to sing with a Jamaican accent. The singing could also be better. That being said, there are some great chill songs here, the composition and musicianship is great.

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Thu Aug 18 2022
4

NICE TUNES

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Fri Sep 02 2022
4

Would revisit

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Wed Sep 14 2022
4

Great vibe.

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Fri Oct 28 2022
4

Hearing this for the first time, I'm surprised this guy is not more of a household name. He's like a modern sounding Bob Marley, but even more accessible to a mass audience. I found these songs to be great listens, really grooving.

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Mon Nov 14 2022
4

Tracks 1-5 are all undeniable bangers. This is way better than I remember (I think I borrowed it off a mate, taped Sunday Shining and Love Gets Sweeter and bunned off the rest of the album as boring). The second half of the album may have justified my young opinion, but this album was SO strong out of the gates it's still great.

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Wed Nov 30 2022
4

I wasn't in the mood for this style of music at all today but it was still a good listen.

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Fri Dec 23 2022
4

Kind of a grower. Apart from happy-go-lucky songs there‘s a certain depth to the whole project which cannot only be explained by the use of dubby reverb. Sincere 3.6

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Wed Dec 28 2022
4

Loved this album back then Great to go back to the dub grooves … top musicians on it … Great bass, guitar and drums even after all … A strong 4

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Fri Jan 20 2023
4

Très bien!

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Wed Feb 01 2023
4

This is a great album, 4.5 stars. Reggae influences without being full-on reggae/repetitive. Balances blending lots of different instruments with still feeling simple. Vocals set a tone that feels 'relatable' and guitar is given freedom to shine at times. Pace changes throughout but is never too fast or too slow. Standout is "Sunday Shining"

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Fri Feb 03 2023
4

I'd forgotten just how good this album is! But the second half does let it down a bit.

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Wed Feb 15 2023
4

A beautiful one

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Thu Feb 23 2023
4

Nostalgia filled me to the brim and then I spilled over with joyous bubbles of musical pleasure. Maybe if you didn't listen to this weekly in your teens, your feel differently.

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Sun Mar 12 2023
4

Reggae. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

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Thu Mar 23 2023
4

Really enjoyed this. And nice to see a reggae album make a list from an artist I’d never heard of

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Thu Jul 22 2021
3

Knew nothing going in, and its pretty atmospheric and interesting. Closer to a 3.5

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Mon Oct 12 2020
3

Don't listen to much reggae but I enjoyed this

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Wed Sep 23 2020
3

I enjoyed the album, and having only known a bit about Finley Quaye it was great to hear his sound in what seems to be the highlight of his career. Some of the songs I had recognized prior and enjoyed, but overall I think it was a good mix. There were a couple of songs I wasn't as invested in hence the 3*.

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Sat May 22 2021
3

Funky mon!

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Mon Feb 15 2021
3

it's great when we're together

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Thu Apr 29 2021
3

Pretty good. Not earth shattering, but good.

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Mon May 17 2021
3

muy buen Soft con una producción muy nítida y canciones bastante digeribles aunque al final va cayendo lentamente Esto es lo que pueden hacer unos hermanos que si se quieren y no tienen problemas de ego Sorpresa ver que son los de Don't dream it's over

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Mon May 17 2021
3

Es un escocés cantando Reggae. ¿No es suficiente para explicar por qué este disco es importante? Creo que el disco sería mejor si se quitaran unas 3 o 4 canciones. Tiene algunas muy interesantes, como “Ultra Stimulation”, pero siento que se pierden entre varias que son tediosonas.

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Mon Jan 25 2021
3

Some good tracks mixed with some misses

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Wed Feb 17 2021
3

Initially it is ok I am not crazy about it so far. Very chill vibes though. The more I listen the more I like it. I was not expecting reggae

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Tue Jul 20 2021
3

Quisiera ponerle más pero no se puede. Sí me gustó pero mnada más.

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Wed Mar 24 2021
3

ehhhhh...i mean...i dunno, i like the bass. not my style, but it's, you know, fine.

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Tue Apr 27 2021
3

I have no idea why this album totally escaped my radar back in the day, but it's an enjoyable one, totally capturing the essence of those late 90's years. Would listen to it again.

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Sun May 30 2021
3

good but thats it

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Tue Jun 22 2021
3

just a lot more reggae

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Fri Jul 09 2021
3

Es como reggae. No está mal. Pero es un poco rollo al final.

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Mon Jul 05 2021
3

First "reggae" album here and, although I don't knew the artist, it's easy to note the innovations brought by the artist in the '90s that are used until today.

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Wed May 05 2021
3

Tranquilo, con ritmo y con toques reggae

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Tue Apr 13 2021
3

Bob Marley 'cover' is interesting

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Fri Feb 19 2021
3

Totally fine and listenable but not sure why it’s on this list. More of 7 out of 10 but bumping it down just to being a bit bland

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Fri Jan 29 2021
3

it was pretty good, but i am not the biggest fan of this style of reggae. I liked Your Love Gets Sweeter and Sunday Shining the best.

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Sun Feb 14 2021
3

Hmm nja nä inte riktigt min grej, gick att lyssna på, rätt chill men ikke bra va... hmmm 3 tror jag

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Thu Mar 18 2021
3

Front four tracks impeccable for me and the rest is really nice although some barely registers - still on rotation today. It’s great when we’re together is suchhhh a tune. Heart says four but got to go with the very very strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it deserves

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Thu Mar 18 2021
3

I wanted to give it a 4 as there are some absolute belters on this, but the weaker tracks are pretty awful. There was no need for this album to have 13 songs on it. Bloated with filler.

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Mon May 24 2021
3

Decent album - sun is shining is a tune. Voice grates after a while.

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Mon Mar 29 2021
3

Knew one of these songs. It’s fine. Interesting.

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