Customer Reviews

Hope & Doubt

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The good things in life are worth waiting for! Taj Weekes and Adowa's CD is very, very fine. I have listened through six or seven times and last night had the chance to kick back and kick up the volume. The music is roots and the message is culture. Taj's lyrics tell the story well of hope and doubt. His voice is clean and fine and the band is tight tight tight. And hats off to the production team because the end result is dynamite. And I hear so much of Robert Nestor weaving his influences through the tracks!

I especially like "jagged" and "mysterious" as it lets the boys lay down the bass line and then stretch it out a bit. "sad" and "blue," despite their titles, are songs with lift that make you want to sing and dance along. Every song is solid and gets better with each playing. The way Taj reworks "scream out mellow" into "mellow lullabies" is sweet and does make me think of Marley's "redemption song."

Pass the word to all those friends who want to hear the return of reggae to roots - Taj Weekes and Adowa are here and "hope & doubt" insists upon being heard and enjoyed!

Taj Weekes and Adowa's cd, Hope and Doubt, is a beautiful album all around--filled with infectious, lilting grooves and lyrics that demand your attention. This is not just any reggae album but rather one that will keep growing on you the more you listen to it. I highly recommend Hope and Doubt. much respect for such a strong and outstanding first release. Buy a copy of Hope and Doubt today- you won't be disappointed.

You don't have to be Rasta to appreciate and enjoy this one. The emotions expressed by Taj Weekes and the sounds produced by Adowa and support singers have the power to touch us all. In "Hope & Doubt" we hear lyrics and melodies that range from the sadness of loss in "MPLA" (which, ironically, is musically upbeat), the compassion for "vulnerables" in "Sad", the uncertainty of life in "Crash" and "Life" and of love in "Blue" and the utter faith (which is, after all, made up of "hope" and "doubt") in "Mysterious". Then you can lose yourself in the mellow and totally satisfying, flawless rhythms and musical arrangements of this versatile and awesome band.

The smooth and stylish Reggae sounds that emanate throughout Hope & Doubt make this album a must have for any music collection. Listeners will be inspired by the depth that Taj Weekes projects in this incredible freshman effort. Each song transmits a feeling and a warmth that is both compelling and memorable. Just listening to the "Lonesome In Babylon" audio track provided above will leave you wanting more. This album is a groove filled Reggae triumph and Taj Weekes is already a consummate artist.

I can't wait for Taj's next project to be released.

I purchased this album after hearing the snippet and soon realized it was money well spent. This album is solid from start to finish. Taj Weekes has a soothing vocal style and incredible writing throughout the album. The musical arrangements hold up the integrity of the messages and find their way to your spirit in no time.

The track 'MPLA', about Taj's late older brother, has an invigorating tempo and is very inspirational. 'Life' (my favorite track) has that classic hard hitting reggae sound with lyrics to get you out of your seat.

There are no short-comings present in the album's 10 tracks and in all honesty, I wish there were more albums like this. Rather than flooding it with fillers to make a long patchy record, they provided nothing but quality songs worthy of keeping on repeat.