The Black Seeds – Into The Dojo

I put off even considering the Black Seeds for as long as I could, then their single “One By One” was used in the Breaking Bad series [which was filmed all around me, here in New Mexico], and I came face to face with the realization that I could no long neglect this staggering bit of ‘blue eyed reggae,’ and have since, allowed myself to to swept away by the musical intoxication.

It’s been said that the Seeds lack guts, that their sound is too popular, that it’s not sincere, yet at this era in our world, especially in America, we all need a dose of music that’s not only fun, but creates an atmosphere so richly layered, an atmosphere that we don’t so much need to get lost in as individuals [though that is easy to do], but more of an atmosphere that unveils itself, revealing a trippy-er side that we can all embrace together … getting lost in a crowd of likeminded believers.

Within these grooves you’re not gonna find a blend of reggae and dub that’s not so deep that’s it’s unrecognizable to most, as the Black Seeds dance out across a stable platform, where like Bob Marley, who was once accused of making his version of reggae too commercial, too popular, and too far from its roots, did so many years ago … with people later following his footprints down the beach. You will find that Into The Dojo is one of those albums that though very commercial, and in a good way, is just mainstream enough, and just mysterious enough, to cast a wide net that people are anxious to be caught up in.

The album is noticeably tightly constructed, though it does induce a laid back vibe of contained and structured inherent musical rambling, in much the same fashion as the Grateful Dead did with rock n’ roll so many years ago.

Never failing to please, the Black Seeds are not a reggae band as such per say, their roots span endless boundaries that include reggae, soul, funk, boogie, and of course R&B … it’s just that they manage to lace it all together in a heretofore unheard of fashion, with a passion of boundless energy. Of course I fully realize that this is music for the white hip, but anything that leapfrogs and unifies people of varying cultures together in such a joyous environment is a good thing in this reviewer’s book.

It’s tough not to make Into The Dojo not sound like the perfect album, and it certainly does have some flaws, but those are easily overlooked in favor of all that goes right, delivering music that defines a set of attitudes and experiences that on the whole are sound, considered, straightforward, and delightful. And … of course I’ve tried to make it through this review without the marijuana culture references, but [laughing] that’s just impossible to do, as the grooves lead to no place else, other than to a dancehall or living room filled with hazy blue smoke that only encourages turning up the volume.

Review by Jenell Kesler