Addis Through the Looking Glass

Given that Dub Colossus's debut, A Town Called Addis, was one of the best albums of 2008 and that this new one is even better, you probably don't have to read the rest of this review to ascertain my opinion. However, I'm contractually obliged to elaborate, so here goes. To call an album musical could be construed as not saying very much at all. But in all of its near-70 minutes, Nick Page and his long list of seasoned collaborators from London and Ethiopia never stop being inventive, exciting and involving in the most sophisticated and sexily sinuous manner. Nine times out of ten, albums that last more than the old LP length of 45 minutes outstay their welcome. Not this one.

The influence of Mahmoud Ahmed and Mulatu Astatké is as strong as ever, but there's also plenty of other stuff going on, pulling the music in different directions, making you happy to go with its ever-changing flow: a melodic nod to John Barry here, some bluesy slide guitar there, a blast of melodramatic brass, some tinkling jazz piano, and of course the occasional obligatory drop into a few bars of discombobulating dub. But the important thing is that nothing sounds affected, mired in cliché, or in the least bit forced. Even the cover of the reggae/pop classic ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ balances respect for the integrity or the original with a need to give it an Addis Ababa make-over.