Indie Music Album Reviews

fulah - fulah

11/27/2013

Fulah

Fulah
self-titled; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Demiera Harris

Fulah is a music collective from Miami, Florida that pulls influences from its tropical landscape. The band emits a sound of classic reggae and soulful rock. Their self-titled album Fulah is made up of a guitarist and vocalist, a drummer, a saxophonist, as well as a keyboardist, percussionist, and a horn section. Together, this band has produced an album that is full of genuine songs that can be played out by the beach, or in your kitchen while cooking up some good soul food.

The vocals of the record are very appealing from the beginning; they are soothing yet natural and rugged as most reggae music is. The first song on the album showcases the talents of the vocalist as well as the band as a whole. “Too Close To Leave” cries true to the concepts of a reggae track; “I ain’t searching for no wisdom … I’m just trying to do some living, I’m just trying to grow old.”

The second song on the album starts off with a dramatic and very intriguing beat and then jumps into some equally dramatic lyrics. The title is “Weight of Your Pain” and it harps on bad or harsh love; “So I say don’t walk away, I’ll take away the weight of your pains.” The drums and the horns are what really anchor this song and the beat is completely infectious and just makes you want to get up and dance. Another really upbeat track is “Oh Why.” It starts off with a similar compelling beat but is unique because the singer not only starts rapping but does so in Spanish, and then a hard core horn solo breaks loose right before an epic guitar solo. These songs are just teeming with musical glory and let one experience the sound of myriad instruments.

The album is a great overall listen and is especially appealing for those interested in reggae and island music. It is a bit apparent that the members are either young musicians, or they have not played together for a long period of time, as their sound has much potential for maturing and becoming more cohesive. This point could also be attributed to the fact that there are so many members in the band, but on the other hand, this makes their sound incredibly unique and I am sure that this band live is a completely different experience.