This is my first experience of Urban Tribe. They hail from Sweden and comprise of an eleven piece band, complete with a full horn section. From the out-set it’s extremely obvious that these guys know a thing or two about reggae music! Their sound is reminiscent of Steel Pulse, Inner Circle (early days) and The Wailers. The overall sound is enormously uplifting and embodies that joyful spirit of true, enriching reggae music. The band is led and built around Adam Atterby who is the main writer, producer, composer, musician, singer and general all round musical genius!

The story of the album title and how the band came to be is remarkably moving. Bob’s is a bar which sits on Kamala beach in Thailand and was the inspiration for the album. However in 2004 the tsunami struck Southeast Asia and the bar was completely destroyed, along with much of Kamala, fortunately Bob himself survived. Proceeds from the album sale have been used to help rebuild Bob's. The full and very moving story is recounted by Adam in the liner notes of the album.

Musically ‘Bob’s Bar’ is extremely positive, bright and cheerful, however lyrically the album focuses on many serious themes, such as corruption, dishonesty and greediness. One of the many joys of this album is its blend of these two opposites; it can make you feel really upbeat and full of optimism, yet you are always reminded of the struggle and that life should be valued and respected.

I’m so taken by this release that I have great difficultly in picking out individual tracks for praise, that’s how consistently good it is. At a push the title track is a must listen, best heard while actually sat in Bob’s Bar I’m guessing! After this take your pick, ‘Soul Rebel’ will have you bouncing with its carefree, sun soaked riddim, funky organ and deejay toasting delivery; ‘Bump Dem’ will have you chanting down George W. Bush in a down tempo roots style cut; ‘Better Than This’ thunders along with a punchy bass line and beautiful vocal harmonies, while the final cut ‘Revolution’, which opens with astounding victory horns, contains some searing guitar work and lyrically tackles a difficult subject matter - clearly a fitting end to an outstanding album of reggae music. This is a must own album – simple as!

Review by JumpUp

1. Fool With a Gun

2. We Say No

3. I Believe in You

4. Bump Dem

5. Soul Rebel

6. Silver and Gold

7. Bob's Bar

8. Better Than This

9. Chant Them Down

10. Bad Man

11. Revolution