"Paua" Review by Michael Cotton
Paua
"Paua"
What is it about the Pacific which produces such a love of reggae music?
Kiwi/Aussie band Paua like to think of themselves as being bred in Aotearoa but created in Brisbane.
Paua, like so many Aussie and Kiwi bands before them, clearly love to bring their own Pacific sound to the reggae and dub scene.
Reminiscent of The Black Seeds and Katchafire – Paua create music with the beach, or a chilled out BBQ in mind. Mixing reggae and dub Paua, an eight-piece collective, also mix the urban life in which they currently live, with the idyllic life they dream of living.
Opening track Celebrity Life opens with some overzealous autotune work but soon redeems itself with some nifty beats and saves for a few more autotune moments, makes for a solid start to the album.
The constant slow to mid-tempo bass and subtle guitar work is prevalent throughout the album;. but Paua do up the tempo on Sweet Reggae - a song which does exactly what it says on the tin, sweet sweet reggae music. You can easily close your eyes and be transported to that idyllic beach.
“I love my reggae in the morning, I love my reggae in the afternoon, I love my reggae in the evening, I love my reggae.” This pretty much sums up Paua – a Kiwi band living the life in Australia who love their reggae music.
For fans of The Black Seeds, Katchafire and Fat Freddy’s Drop.
Reviewed by: Michael Cotton
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