Take What You Want is an album busting at the seams with psychedelic, soul, reggae, blues and dub sounds that will bring a little warmth and sunshine in the cold winter months. Just the fact that the songs were written in less than 30 days is astounding, but add in the fact that songs and lyrics are actually high quality makes the feat even that much more impressive.
This album has something for everyone, from dub heavy tracks like “Un Poquito Mas”, “Bring Fire On You”, and “Fade Away”, to upbeat grooves like “Nothing To Learn”, and “Wont Be Coming Home”, makes the bands versatility crystal clear. The multiple layers of different sounds and effects are so intricate and well produced. This album is a real treat right before the holidays and will make wrapping all those presents that less arduous.
“Won’t Be Coming Home” has a bluesier feel to it and sounds like the kind of song you might hear on the soundtrack from a movie at Sundance. As the first song on the album it allows each instrument to shine, transitioning between keyboard and guitar solos. It sets the bar high for he rest of the album, which does not disappoint.
The Spanish-English fusion, “Un Poquito Mas”, features special guest Aleke from the Barcelona band Planeta Lem. The song is a seductive blend of lush dub effects and hard-hitting drum and bass. They were able to take manufactured sounds and blend them together in a way that feels organic. The song also shows that music is so powerful that it can break all barriers. No matter what language you speak, everyone understands good music.
“Straw Men” starts out with a powerful clip from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech which was delivered the day before his assassination on 1968. The song seems to be a call to action and asks many of the same questions running through the minds of our generation, “Who can think with all this fighting going on? Just cause you think that you are right, doesn’t mean that I am wrong. Who are you to tell me what side of the tracks I belong?” Instead of making an album full of songs with lighthearted, catchy lyrics (and there are a few, but who can resist!) Tommy let us poke around in the corners of his mind and see the world from his eyes.
Some bands work for years to produce an album as good as Take What You Want, and many of them fall short. Hopefully this album will garner the kind of attention it deserves because you cannot only hear, but feel the passion woven through each melody. While San Diego may already know and love Tommy Dubs and Seismic Leveler, it’s time to make the rest of the world stand up and listen.
Written & Reviewed by: Ashley Allred
