For those fans who have mourned the end of Sublime since lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell's untimely death in the mid-'90s, here's an album that will cheer their spirits and change their minds. The Long Beach Dub All-Stars' latest release, Wonders of the World, succeeds in fusing the diverse sounds of ska, punk, hip hop, reggae, soul and blues into a unique musical genre that Sublime was famous for. So it's no surprise that the LBDAS is fronted by Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, ex-Sublime bassist and drummer. Their fourth album to date, they joined together with artists of varying musical backgrounds to create the conglomeration of sound that is Wonders.
There's no question that LBDAS's style is a progeny of Sublime, and the resemblance goes deeper still. The lyrical content is reminiscent of songs from both Sublime's Sublime (1996) and 40 oz. to Freedom (1992), for the album's general focus involves life's ups and downs in reference to trouble with the law, drugs and relationships. Wilson's vocals convey that same aloof attitude with a voice surprisingly similar to Nowell's. Wilson's voice transforms from melodious reggae chants to the strained vocals of an angst-ridden punk rocker and, yet still, to the mellow spoken words of a lazy stoner.
This remembrance to Sublime, this realization that LBDAS strives to let Bradley Nowell live on through their music, is what makes Wonders really rock. The album kicks in with a brief instrumental track--a trippy mix of reggae beats and morphed guitar riffs that are held together by the understated melody of fading horns. These unique reggae sounds remain throughout and adjust to blend with each song's particular style. Ska characterizes "No Way," as the song alternates between crashes of punk rock chords and bouncy guitar riffs, leaving the listener dizzy from headbanging, then calmed by mellower tunes. "Life Goes On" experiments with a more soulful style as the singer raps the lyrics to a tribal drumbeat. Toward the album's end, the six-minute instrumental track "Grass Cloud" sums up the energetic mix of sound that characterizes the LBDAS. The track is long but the band keeps it interesting by constantly switching the main focus from electronics to horns to an elevated fuzzy guitar solo that reverbs, echoes and fades into a pretty flute melody. Sound and vocal samples are scattered throughout as "Grass Cloud" revolves and evolves into its own entity.
With Wonders, the LBDAS not only bring back to life that unique mix of musical genres that Sublime so successfully blended in its day, but they take Sublime's music a step further as they collaborate with artists like the Black- Eyed Peas and Half Pint to add a stronger R&B; flavor to their melting pot of sound. Yet alongside their revision in style, the LBDAS always pay tribute to their former partner in creation. As the sample of Nowell's vocals sings "Let the lovin'/ Let the lovin'/ Come back to me" on "Sunny Days," Wilson sings those same words in response, and the two voices create the eerie effect of a duo that can still exist, despite the current silence of one member.
