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Herald Rating: * * *
Three Houses Down fit somewhere between Katchafire and Unity Pacific. The Otara reggae band's debut, Dreadtown, isn't as lovey dovey as the former sometimes can be, yet not as stripped back as the latter. Perfect for sparking up the barbecue, then.
They're a large band, with 12 members, and a whopping great horn section. It's the brass that makes them unique as it punctuates the general reggae bounce of songs like Soldiers, which has to be the friendliest anti-war song you're likely to hear. You can't help but smile coyly at the chorus: "I want you to retreat, cos we must all get on now, and life will be all good." Then there's Island Lullaby, a lovely soppy song. It's at this point where you get that overwhelming feeling of Three Houses Down being just another pub reggae covers band - albeit a very good one. But what you want more of is the aching passion of songs like the title track, which midway through breaks into a power ballad before it creeps and chinks to an end. And while Rastafari might come across as just another reggae song spreading the Rasta gospel, it has a beautiful tranquillity to it courtesy of its loping grooves, brass splashes, and gently sprawling breakdowns. A true highlight.
Label: A Moving Production
Verdict: Inspired highs and soppy reggae lows on Otara band's debut
