Following 2023’s Future, Alborosie is ready to launch his ninth full-length, ‘9 Mile’ Album, out October 24 by way of VP Data. Named after Bob Marley’s birthplace in Saint Ann, Jamaica, the mission was recorded and produced at his personal Shengen Studio in Kingston, dwelling to classic tools as soon as utilized by King Tubby himself.
As all the time, Albo dealt with the whole lot himself, from manufacturing to engineering and mixing, sustaining the sound and spirit that has outlined him for many years. However the ‘9 Mile’ Album feels extra international in attain, shifting between lovers rock, roots reggae, and cross-cultural detours, mixing hints of 80s rock, bossa nova, and new wave with out shedding its roots basis.
The album opens with Calling Selassie, setting a meditative tone. Emperor Haile Selassie’s well-known phrases echo over Nyahbinghi drums earlier than the observe drops right into a brass-heavy groove. Sadly, using Auto-Tune on Albo’s vocals barely dulls the non secular vitality of the opener, and the hook feels a bit repetitive to me.
Monitor two, Trench City Legend, pays direct tribute to Bob Marley and the Wailers. It additionally begins with noticeable Auto-Tune, however that shortly fades as soon as the drum and bass kick in and Alborosie finds his stride. The track cleverly weaves titles from Marley’s classics into its lyrics, a nod to reggae’s international attain and to Trench City because the cradle of the music. The observe, already launched as a single, stands out as a strong meditation on Marley’s legacy and the roots that formed Jamaica’s sound.
No Tan Distintos (“Not So Completely different”) brings a heavier guitar edge, bearing on the world’s divisions and the necessity to finish the chaos that defines 2025. It’s a protest track in true Alborosie style, a worldwide message grounded in fact.
Come My Approach follows within the spirit of Augustus Pablo and Daybreak Penn, a loversrock prayer carried by dubby keys and a traditional roots rhythm. Then comes Cool Down, a laid-back breakup observe a couple of man giving his all to a relationship that also falls aside. It’s heartfelt and relatable, easy in message however very human.
Digital Love flips the temper, uptempo, ironic, and fashionable. It’s Albo’s tackle social media romance and the faux realities folks construct on-line. The track appears like a generational bridge; older listeners will hear the warning, whereas youthful ones could nod alongside to the beat and possibly get a lowkey ‘boomer vibe’.
He then switches fully with Ganas de Verte (“Trying Ahead to Seeing You”), sung fully in Spanish. Regardless of Albo’s Sicilian roots, the track sounds prefer it was made for the Latin reggae viewers, easy, heat, and radio-friendly.
From there, on Ipanema, listeners go on a musical journey to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, from Ipanema Seaside to the favelas. The observe opens with a well-known bossa contact harking back to “The Lady from Ipanema,” mixing samba and reggae vibes right into a sunny, feel-good tune. Nothing nuh incorrect with this vibe.
One other Day brings again one thing not often seen in fashionable albums: an interlude. It’s a brief reflective piece the place Albo appears to be quietly giving thanks for all times itself, ending one other day and searching ahead to the following.
Issues take a darker flip with Zombies. The observe opens with the sound of chaos, like a zombie apocalypse, as Alborosie calls out the corruption and ethical decay in international management. “Clock is ticking… Doomsday,” he chants, backed by haunting harmonies that elevate the message.
Loco Loco continues the social commentary, once more in Spanish. “The world gone loco,” Albo repeats, referring to the insanity each in actual life and on social media. The lyrics don’t shrink back from bearing on present international conflicts and genocide, giving the observe actual weight, whilst its hook lives in your head lengthy after.
Membership Paradise brings the sunshine again. It’s an ode to Jamaica, a simple, tourist-friendly anthem stuffed with tropical imagery, recommendation to “have a coconut,” and benefit from the “candy paradise.” It’s reggae at its most uplifting, crafted for the ears of many, the form of tune that might simply underscore a Jamaica Vacationer Board marketing campaign.
On When, Albo turns introspective once more. It’s a soulful track about heartbreak, that second when love fades, however one individual retains ready, nonetheless asking, “When?”
The ‘9 Mile’ album closes with the title observe 9 Mile. Stripped-down and semi-acoustic, it’s Alborosie at his most weak. A track of remembrance and love, it displays on somebody pricey who has handed, now watching from above. It’s a easy, lovely ending that might depart you with some chills or goosebumps..
General, ‘9 Mile’ appears like a strong, acutely aware, and various physique of labor, not Albo’s heaviest roots album, however one which exhibits his progress and willingness to discover new corners of reggae. Whereas there’s no Kingston City, Nonetheless Blazing, Herbalist, or Blessing second right here, Trench City Legend and Come My Approach simply stand out as highlights on this one for me.
And whether or not you prefer it or not, you’ll in all probability nonetheless end up buzzing Loco Loco, Loco Loco, locooo lengthy after the album ends.
By Danny Creatah
