The Amharic - Descendents (Square Biz)

I've never been a big fan of reggae, it must be said, I've always preferred ska. I blame the bland soulless sounds of the 80s, if I'd heard Bob Marley before UB40, I'd probably be more appreciative, but that's the way it goes. However, years of listening to different types of music has given me an appreciation for the music form and idea of what's good and what isn't. To put it simply, the Amharic remind me of the 80s and not the better sounds that came out of Jamaica.

The Amharic are smooth, accessible and completely boring. They're more like Aswad than the Wailers and are completely lacking in spark. This is coffee table music for middle aged liberals and that's about it.

Donnacha DeLong