Bongo Boy Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 17

6. Girl Has The Essence - Very nice funk guitar with a wah-wah effect starts off the song and then Ricky breaks into a simply melodic, beautiful song. Again, the vocals are hypnotic, so hypnotic that I almost missed the cool little fills the percussion was throwing in - almost. Basically, Ricky is a one man tornado that is a tremendous party band on par with the old J. Geils Band. Now, the style of music is totally different, but the groove is the same. You knew if Geils was playing then a massive party would be happening. I have the feeling that anywhere Ricky plays is one massive joyous event! 7. It’s Alright - Man, I dig those little rolls Ricky puts down at the beginning of the song. He goes into a very mellow, laid back groove and actually croons. The thing is that it sounds very good. All of a sudden, I am aware of the bass and the drums hitting the pocket for a subtle jam, then the mellow crooning is back, but backed by some funky guitar and Ricky on the drums who seems to enjoy throwing in high-hat fills. The guitar then steps up for a very melodic and soulful jam before the chorus comes back. This time however, the crooning is replaced by some very intense vocals. Overall, Ricky has a fantastic range and is able to switch moods in an instant. 8. People Of The World - The listener is hit with a massive blast of Reggae Funk right from the start. The bass and drums are spot on while the guitar provides a chopping chord background that makes the listener want to move. There is still room for a blistering guitar jam towards the end of the song that includes a wicked walk down run. Ricky is a young and very talented musician. This song is filled with the idealistic innocence of youth which is, at least for this old Punk, both endearing and admirable. The Dead Kennedys this isn’t. 9. Goodbye 16 - Man, I like the intro to this song. It is a hurricane of sound that blasts into the listener’s head. Then the Reggae vibe kicks in and Ricky tells us the story of losing his innocence. I really like this track. His vocals are intense, at times bordering on screaming, before returning to a melodic tone. Actually, the