If I told you there was a rock band called Dark Suburb you would think nothing of it. What if I asked you what kind of music did they play? You'd probably assume they play some kind of emo rock music because they're dark and edgy from a suburb. If I asked what you thought they looked like? You would probably say Green Day. You'd be wrong if those were your guesses.Dark Suburb is a band that makes alternative rock music. The band is made up of five musicians as well as a poet who acts as their chief priest. The group formed in Ghana, an African country which they consider to be a suburb of the world. In addition to the music they place an emphasis on the costumes that they wear as an homage to their shared ancestry, including their trademark skeleton masks.
The band places a huge emphasis on being who you are. Even if you don't have a place in society it is up to you to show the world that indeed you do belong and you're right where you need to be. That applies to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and anything else. That's certainly reflected in the lyrics of their music especially their biggest single so far "Hating." Their debut album is called The Star Looks Like an End. It features 16 tracks with a few features. I honestly had no idea what to expect when I came across the link one night diving deep into the depths of YouTube. But, I took a chance.
First thing is first, the initial sound is that of any alternative rock band so you're not going to get something unexpected. The thing that sets them apart is they weave in aspects of African music into their content. There's plenty of screaming guitars and drum solos. Yet, there's also some elements of African rhythms in the music which makes it stand out and remain memorable. Majority of the lyrics are in English, but occasionally there's going to be some slang you don't understand or a few words in the Sisaala language. You're not going to be bobbing your head saying it sounds good but not knowing what they're saying. You'll get the full understanding of the lyrics throughout the album which are pretty important to the goals of the group.
The bad thing about the album is there's no real pacing to it. You're going to get some intense songs followed by love ballads and it might just take you out of the moment. None of the songs really lead to the next and you might as well just throw it on shuffle. As for the actual music, it's good. It's obviously a rock album but there's tracks like "Hustle," that bring in a lot of hip hop. There's songs like "Romeo and Juliet" which sounds like Frank Ocean might do.
While none of the tracks really go together the album is full of really good songs. If I'm being honest the only tracks I don't really like are "Momma," and "EgoBe," even then they aren't exactly bad tracks. I just don't care for them. There's a few tracks where vocals could have been mixed together and you might strain to hear the lyrics but it really is just good music. There's going to be something for everyone on this, even a little spoken word if that's what you're into. Take a listen, all of it might not be your cup of tea but you'll find something.
You should buy Darrell's Book, watch him on the Blerds Online YouTube Channel or The CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
