Posted on: August 20, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Bedouin Soundclash – Street Gospels / 2007 SideOneDummy / 13 Tracks / http://www.bedouinsoundclash.com / http://www.sideonedummy.com /

“Walls Fall Down” really put Bedouin Soundclash in a position that reminds me of a modern Clash. The act is able to make a track that will come forth easily and naturally on rock radio, but does not lack in any sense in regards to the smartness of the instrumentations. There is an eclectic sound like their ancestors The Clash had, but instead of blending together ska, punk, and rock, Bedouin Soundclash seem to go and come forth with a style that blends emo, the Goo Goo Dolls, Rise Against, and a number of the most respected and impressive bands of the last twenty years.

“Until We Burn in the Sun” has a little bit of a ska influence, but during the opening of the track there are still hints of Bedouin Soundclash’s eclecticism. For example, the vocals just scream Bono, while the bass plays a reggae style, freeing up the rest of the band to approach the track in a very laid-back matter. While the song does not have the immediate sexiness of “Walls Fall Down”, I see “Until We Burn In The Sun” as the equivalent, the updated version to any of the non-single tracks on The Police’s “Synchronicity” album.  “St. Andrews” keeps up with the reggae feel, but there seems to be a mashup of surf and anarcho-punk (Against Me!, Lucero, Latterman) here that keeps individuals guessing where Bedouin Soundclash will ultimately go.

The vocals take on a little of a Tim Armstrong-like sound, adding yet another dimension to what is already a track that is complex as all get out. Even when Bedouin Soundclash do a slower track (“Trinco Dog”), the complex interdependence of all the constituent parts of the band imbue the larger track with an energy that other songs would simply not have. I had not heard much about Bedouin Soundclash before picking up this album, but at the end of “Street Gospels”, I knew that I had to go above and beyond the call of duty and pick them up. Should they come anywhere around me, I’ll be one of the first in line. There might be a weak track or two on the disc (I’m looking at you, “Hush”), ut the band still shines, still impresses, and it will be a long time before another act is really able to capture the magic that Bedouin Soundclash does on this disc. Pick it up.

Top Tracks: Until We Burn In The Sun, Trinco Dog

Rating: 7.1/10

Leave a Comment