Survival Ep - Grand Analog

Grand Analog is a Canadian based band that blends reggae and hip hop in a feel-good, groovy way. The band formed in 2002 as a short-lived rock band by Odario Williams, who revived the project in 2006 with a new sound in mind.

Grand Analog’s first album Calligraffiti was released in 2007 and their following album was released in 2009 titled Metropolis Is Burning. Metropolis Is Burning charted for several weeks following its release. The third album Modern Thunder was released in 2013 and in 2015 the band’s fourth album released: Roll Dub Soul Rap. Their newest album Survival features Odario Williams and brother DJ Olfield Williams, Warren Bray on bass, TJ Garcia on drums, and Aubrey McGhee on saxophone.

I was born in 1998, so I had very little experience in the 90’s. My biggest milestone in the 90’s was probably learning to walk. Listening to this album though makes me feel as though I lived in the 80’s and 90’s. There is an unmistakable feel of nostalgia in this album that makes me miss a time that I don’t even remember living. The album as a whole is very jazzy and makes you want to groove. In earlier tracks – especially Survival Mode and Stardust – it 100% sounds like what 90’s psychedelic art looks like. Later tracks like Ballad of the Beast take on a devil-may-care rap attitude. Survival is an album that reminds me of Gorillaz in the way that it mixes rap with old-school beats to make a perfect recipe for head-bopping. I listened to this album many times through as I wrote and, honestly, I had a hard time keeping my thoughts straight because I just kept jamming out and relaxing to the music! Not to mention, I immediately followed them on Spotify so that I can continue to listen to not only this album, but their other albums as well. Is this an album that I would recommend to everyone? I have one word to answer that: yes.

Track Listings: Survival Mode, Quiet Life, Stardust, Mutations, Everyday, Ride On/Oshiya Dub, Ballad Of The Beast, Survival: The Levy

Best Tracks: Survival Mode, Stardust, Mutations, Ride On/Oshiya Dub