The Sound of Sunshine

by Michael Franti and Spearhead

This album is perfectly named.  Franti and Spearhead, in the eleven tracks that make up this disk, pretty much capture the 'sound of sunshine'.

This is a folky, sun-dappled album.  It seems to be pretty much lacking the politics of Franti's other releases, as well as the reggae vibe brought to the table on his last album by Sly & Robbie, but I still find this to be an essential release for 2010.

While I miss the more conscious Franti, there's nothing wrong with a fun, light-hearted disk from time to time.  I find that I prefer the slower songs, like 'Gloria'.  This is worth checking out.

All Rebel Rockers

by Michael Franti & Spearhead

Michael Franti is an artist I have respected for a long time. His work in Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy showed me that hip-hop could be a vehicle for much more than what was coming over the radio and television waves at the time, and I have watched the Spearhead side of his career with interest.

This is a pretty standard, high-quality Spearhead album. Much of the production has been handled by Sly & Robbie, giving the album a more islands feel, which fits nicely with Franti's voice and sound.

As usual, these are political songs which wrap Franti's beliefs and ethics in catchy rhthyms, making them easily digestible and enjoyable. There are some very beautiful songs on here - 'Hey World (Don't Give Up Version)' is a lovely indictment of our environment and youth culture. 'Life in the City' chants "One day Guantanamo will fall", giving the album a slightly prophetic feel, seeing as it was released in the tale end of the Bush era.

I've had this album on pretty steadily since it came out in the fall, and I must say that I've never gotten tired of it.