Salient

Album Review: ROY G and the BIVinators - for the pEoPle

By Stephanie Cairns | 1 Sep, 2008

Ah, clever how they did that. for the pEoPle - EP, geddit? This local band’s first release is a nice tight laid-back listen, perfect for enjoying with a cup of green tea in the afternoon sun. I’m suspicious of the moniker ‘summer band’ – what kind of band only sounds good for half of the year? – but for the pEoPle is definitely the kind of music that works better with a hefty dose of sunlight.

for the pEoPle was recorded single-handedly by Maz Herman, a former NZSM jazz student. The live band includes a further eight people, with Maz on vocals, trombone and guitar. ROY G and the BIVinators make the kind of music that doesn’t intrude if you feel like ignoring it, but if you pay attention you’ll be rewarded.

The EP nods to perennial Wellington favourites like The Black Seeds and Fat Freddy’s Drop, with a mixture of elements from reggae, jazz, electronica and hip hop. But that’s not to say that ROY G and crew don’t have their own unique sound, and thankfully they manage to steer clear of many of the more tired conventions that other ‘Wellington sound’ bands continue to wear thin.

Choreographed horns and Fender Rhodes keys are kept to a minimum, and the tempos are neither dub-slow nor ska-fast. Maz also isn’t afraid of the odd major chord, and the live, acoustic quality of the record makes it sound homely and warm. Guitar and keyboard noodling feature prominently, and there’s some pretty ace musicianship on display: Maz makes excellent use of his voice and instruments. The result is a relaxed and relaxing listen.

My only complaint is that there’s not really enough material here to actually pass a judgment on the band – while the EP has five tracks, there’s really only three songs as the last two are, respectively, a dub and a reprise to the first two songs. It’s kind of dissatisfying. I guess I’ll have to check them out live – and hopefully we’ll be hearing more from the BIVinators in future, with a fulllength album being released later this year.