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Andreus - Street Troubadour -

This is one great album, above everything it has a feel, a vibe, a menace that you can literally touch. A concept album telling of life and the streets in Chicago, and told in pure Chicago Soul, as opposed to heavy hip hop that you would maybe associate with this kind of thing these days.

The intro sets the vibe leading into some rock guitar riffs but with sweet Curtis vocals on Daddy's Please. Comparisons with Curtis Mayfield are inevitable, not only because of vocal style but the also the consciousness. Who am I is a monologue question over a haunting and threatening harmony.

Whether the lyrics are visual or autobiographical I don't know, but they conjure up any image and this continues on Bastard Child, a choppy soul number, and you can almost see the film behind this soundtrack. Hustla's Theme in the context of the theme is strong (dope, money and power) but this track also stands alone as a superb slab of soul, carried on a hook that is so strong lyrically and rhythmically.

The wrong way is exposed and the answer comes in the form of togetherness and spirituality and hope, plus the thought that out of all the wrongdoing comes so much good. On Ghetto Music and Sweet Land we move into Marley influenced reggae and rasta backbeats and ideology.

Mississippi, another track that is strong enough to stand alone on a grooving modern soul beat, dreams of returning to roots in the country, away from devilment and temptation. Get Something is the dream, Hey young World is the hope and Child of life is the reality.

Slightly different from the usual Dome direction and they should be heartily commended for bringing this to us.

Track Listings

1. Intro, 2. Daddy Please, 3. Who am I, 4. Bastard Child, 5. Hustla's Theme, 6. For the Love of Money, 7. Ghetto Music, 8. Sweet Land, 9. Mary Ann, 10. Mississippi, 11. Get Somethin', 12. Hey Young World, 13. Child of Life

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