Reggae is one of those musical styles which just feels completely timeless. No matter what era it’s from, when you hear the hallmark reggae drums and off-beat chords its always going to be good vibes no matter what year it was made. Some artists, such as Protoje, are doing a great job of instilling that timeless reggae vibe into a more contemporary setting and its resulting in some really great cutting-edge Jamaican music.
For such a typically chilled genre, Protoje and his band do a great job of injecting in some real energy. As the drums build up the pace throughout the songs, jams can erupt where scratchy guitar leads mesh with the echoey piano tones to create something truly blissful. This sense of euphoria extends into the vocals which are led by Protoje’s dominant tone but as the songs pick up the pace multiple vocalists join the set creating harmonies and playful call and responses. Protoje isn’t messing with the fundamentals of the reggae sound but he is making them absolutely flourish in a contemporary live setting.