Producers: Finley Quaye, Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby.
Reggae music combined with soul, rock and pop makes Finley Quaye's debut album, MAVERICK A STRIKE, a pleasant mix of genres. Soft, subtle songs ("It's Great When We're Together,") reggae standards ("Ultra Stimulation") and industrial textures ("Supreme I Preme," "I Need A Lover") come together to create a interesting blend of music, easy to swallow. The Fender Rhodes vibrato on "Even After All" sounds dreamy and distant, giving off a relaxing, comforting feeling. Make sure you check out the title cut, which was co-produced by Kevin Bacon. With most of the cuts at least co-written by Quaye, his songwriting talents are apparent on this thirteen-song release. The Bob Marley-influenced textures make MAVERICK A STRIKE more than worthy of repeated spins.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (1/22/98, p.58) - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...soul-soaked, remix-ready roots reggae music....Studio One bass lines, Stax-era horns and organs, and African drums and thumb piano...reshapes time-tested reggae styles...with subtly applied trip-hop trimmings..."
Entertainment Weekly (1/9/98, p.70) - "...Quaye's modern reggae orbits somewhere between rock and a heart place. On his alluring debut, Quaye weaves soulful vocals through a tapestry of dynamic guitar, spacey keyboards, and funk beats that resonate both pain and pleasure." - Rating: B+
Q (1/98, p.114) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997."
Q (3/01, p.130) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An impressive first album that's still worth revisiting..."
Melody Maker (12/20-27/97, pp.66-67) - Ranked #29 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year."
NME (Magazine) (12/20-27/97, pp.78-79) - Ranked #42 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.
