Sure, the Canadian band Bedouin Soundclash blends a myriad of different sounds and styles, but it doesn’t “clash” in the way that the band’s influences do, such as WashingtonD.C. veterans Bad Brains. Unlike Bedouin Soundclash, Bad Brains forces reggae into its aggressive punk, using reggae songs with refreshing breaks in between the thrashing. Instead, Bedouin Soundclash’s second album, “Sounding a Mosaic,” released in 2004, uses subtle elements of rock and ska to accompany its prominent reggae sound.

Peaking at number nine this year on Billboard’s top reggae albums, “Sounding a Mosaic” has been well received in Canada and the UK, but has yet to breakthrough to the United States. Bedouin Soundclash is scheduled to play the SideOneDummy College Tour with fellow label-mates Flogging Molly, Zox and The Whitest Kids You Know. The tour comes to SacramentoState on Oct. 1 with a 7:30 p.m. show in the University Union Ballroom.

The band, which hails from Toronto, features singer/guitarist Jay Malinowski, bassist Eon Sinclair and Pat Pengelly on drums. Often described as a reggae/rock trio, one might be tempted to ax off the rock part of it while listening to them. At times the band evokes The Police and the vocal stylings of The Clash’s Joe Strummer. In the end, Bedouin Soundclash is more reggae than rock. The guitar riffs don’t take over, nor do they give way to prominent bass lines or drums.

Produced by former Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer, the album is a solid effort featuring 13 tracks and two remixed songs.

The opening track, “When the Night Feels My Song,” has a joyous feel to it that is sure to uplift any dull day. As a single the song has garnered popularity among the Canadian and UK charts, ranking number one on CFNY-FM, a Canadian radio station.

The track “Living in Jungles” has a hip-hop feel reminiscent of tracks by Jewish reggae rapper Matisyahu, while “Gyasi Went Home” is laced with an addictive bass line that continuously climbs, accompanied by quick guitar strumming.

“Money Worries” is an up tempo version of the Maytones original, and even features Vernon Maytone singing with Malinowski.

Each song has a different story that never repeats itself, with songs written like narratives on specific issues. “Murder on the Midnight Wire” opens up with the sounds of police car sirens and news anchors telling a tale of crime and how it is handled by the media. The track “Jeb Rand” was written about the character from a 1947 movie called “Pursued.”

Social history seems to be a general theme with songs like “Immigrant Workforce” and “Gyasi Went Home” contemplating issues of migration and freedom. This theme of history is also prevalent in the album cover; a painting by Malinowski titled “Framing the Colonials; Mind the Gaps Please.”

There are some tracks that tend to drag. “Shadow of a Man” is more mellow than the rest of the album and “Criminal,” with its dub quality, gets dreary. The remixes of “Money Worries” and “Rude Boy Don’t Cry” at the end serve more like excess weight than really innovative additions.

The album ends with the anthem “Nothing to say.” While some new bands may suffer from the problem of hashing out songs that are too obvious, devoid of meaning and cliched, Bedouin Soundclash offers fresh and intelligent points of view.

Rating: 3 Stars

Total stars possible: 4

Karen can be reached at

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