Review: "No Quarter For Thieves" Album by Cultivated Mind
A laid-back, easy going rhythm permeates the gorgeous dubbed-out bliss of Cultivated Mind’s “No Quarter for Thieves” album. The lush sound surrounds the listener with a low-end that simply will not quit. Bass rumbles have a gorgeousness to them with melodies that waft up seemingly into the sonic ether.
Full of a quiet celebratory spirit, the communal nature of the “No Quarter for Thieves” album works wonders. Every track plays off the last making the album a fully realized whole. With such a grandiose journey the whole of the album opts for a unique narrative. Firmly rooted in the reggae tradition, Cultivated Mind also draws heavily from dub as shown by the many dub versions that close it out.
References abound throughout the whole of the album’s luxurious sound. Drawing from the earlier era of reggae and dub, Wackie’s label proves to be a good starting point for what they accomplish. A playfulness to the lyrics, it points to Clive Field Marshall and Wayne Jarrett influences. Done with such care, they keep things spacious. Also, the usage of the melodica throughout further gives the album a crystal clear, classic feeling. Vocals have a honeyed quality to them as they roll through Cultivated Mind’s instrumentals.
Starting things off on a high note the commanding title track “No Quarter for Thieves” sets the tone. Dreamier with a loveliness to the storytelling, “Miss That Girl” expands out into the infinite. Things are stripped down to the essentials on the nostalgia of “Sunday School”. Colorful keyboards intermingle on the psychedelic origins of “Can’t Get Enough”. Quite ornate, it all blends to become a virtual stream of consciousness.
With a lilting, tropical ambiance to it, is the bubbly “Another Man’s Cologne”. Incredible chops emerge on the spry “A Good Man in Prison (Acoustic Version)” where the horns add to its stately presence. Quite trippy “No Dub for Thieves (No Quarter for Thieves Dub)” goes for a cavernous zeal. Effortlessly touching upon all that proceeded it is “Crooked Son (Hidden Track)” which closes out the album.
Cultivated Mind paints a colorful portrait on the simply stunning riddims of “No Quarter for Thieves”. Listen to this incredible album right now on Spotify below.