Abdel Wright won't make you "get up, stand up," like Bob Marley, but he will soothe your soul with sweet guitar-playing and airy vocals. His self-titled August release is a light, refreshing album with meaningful and deep lyrics. The album's breezy beats make it hard to believe that Wright has ever suffered any hardship, even though he has had more trials than most.
His song "Ruffest Times" is one of the most personal songs on his album, describing his time spent in prison. It opens with a gentle guitar riff that sounds very similar to Extreme's "More Than Words." It then moves to describe life on the inside, explaining what it's like to be a prisoner and a poet. The chorus is uplifting with its slow chanting.
"Jah will never give you more than you can bear, Jah will never leave I lonely," he sings.
He released the song "Quicksand" as the first single. It's the perfect song to listen to in the car on a nice day. It starts with a harmonic solo that sounds like Bob Dylan is making a guest appearance. Wright wrote this song while in prison as well, though it's not as personal as "Ruffest Times." "Quicksand" is more of a laundry list of government excesses and a call for the people to fix them.
Wright was born in Jamaica and was passed from one foster home to another from the age of nine months until he was 18. Some of his time was spent at the SOS Children's Village where he met Johnny Cash and played harmonica with him. He was arrested later in life and wrote many of this album's songs while sitting in a Jamaican prison.
Upon first listen, Abdel Wright's album sounds very light on content and meaning, but after listening to it a couple times, it becomes apparent that this artist has something to say. He's just not saying it that loudly.
