Reggae music has long been an effective and effervescent medium for addressing the world’s ills. Whether discussing society and injustice, politics, or, as here, the destruction of our planet, it is a style that has never shied away from discussing the big issues. But crucially, even when talking about the most challenging and terrible of events and experiences, it has always been done so in a melodic and musically accessible manner.
So, it makes sense that The Heard Eye heads into such realms to start a conversation about the biggest threat that humanity faces – the demise of the natural world and, therefore, those who live in it. Their music has always echoed with Latin grooves and Jamaican rhythms, South American dance styles, and a touch of South of the Border spice, but “Only One Earth” sees them fully embrace the classic reggae sound and make it their own.
As guitars gently skank and jive, as the bassline wanders through mellifluously, as the beats brilliantly keep off-the-beat timing to create that classic, syncopated sound, they ask some fundamental questions. Can our technology replace the bounty that the earth provides – air to breathe, water to drink, rich soil to grow, and food to eat? What happens when we spoil the land that supports us? Where do we go when we have ruined the only planet we have ever called home?
Where indeed.