Dub Asylum: She Dubs Me, She Dubs Me Not

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

The other night at the b-Net Awards while watching the performance by the all-conquering Salmonella Dub a thought occurred and it soon developed into a half-baked theory.

But this is a record review so that's allowed and it goes something like this. Inevitably this striking debut album by Auckland outfit Dub Asylum will be compared to Salmonella Dub.

But arguably the latter's local success owes something to the groundwork laid in the early 90s by the Hallelujah Picassos, the Auckland band whose enthusiasm for mashing up reggae, dub, ska and punk made for a band, who, while never quite firing on an album, still had their moments.

Live, they created something exciting out of their musical multiple personality disorder.

Well, whaddya know - Dub Asylum is a sort of post-electronic Hallelujah reunion.

Or it's at least the brainchild of that band's guitarist Peter McLennan whose supporting players include the old group's sometime singer Bobbylon and bassist-keyboardist John Pain.

But most of the 15 tracks' allure comes from the Strawpeople-like group of women vocalists consisting of the soul-powered Sandy Mill, the attractively icy Paulette Edwards and actress Willa O'Neill showing on You're So Sensible (here in two mixes) that she's as good with a Sinead-like melody as she is with a script.

Among the other highlights are the bossanova-grooved Patience, the sultry slowburner What the Funk?, and the ragga-grooved, Bobbylon-crooned R U Ready.

Add a couple of lounge-friendly instrumental excursions like Scratch N Sniff, Revenge of the Rogue Field Transmitters, and the sax attack of Loopy Fruits and you've got a quite a collection of seductive songs and sonic fun.

Even better, you don't have to be a lunatic for all things dub to enjoy your stay at the asylum.

Label: Antenna