Grating
new-agey lyrics and his own feeble falsetto aside, Rudd’s collaboration with bassist Tio Moloantoa and percussionist Andile Nqubezelo (of the late Lucky Dube’s band) on sixth album Koonyum Sun has mostly paid off.
Instrumentally and vocally there’s far more texture to his reggae-imbued tunes, especially on Fresh Green Freedom and Reasons We Were Blessed. But Rudd’s default setting of insipid acoustic balladry asserts itself all too often.
3/5
ALISON GRINTER
