Review Summary: Acoustic Roots: Live & Direct captures Slightly Stoopid's emotions perfectly in this chill album. For an acoustic album, it sure has a lot of energy. The album flows very well, and it is a must-have for all rock/reggae fans.
When you first hear the name
Slightly Stoopid, it's hard to take them seriously...until you hear their music. They were signed to Skunk Records by Bradley Nowell, the frontman of Sublime, and for good reason. They play a perfect combination of reggae, ska, and punk. Now, onto the review.
Acoustic Roots: Live & Direct is exactly what it sounds like. It starts out with a lot of energy in
Cool Down and
Fire Shot and the tempo is kept through most of the album. It's completely acoustic, with a little bit of drumming mixed in, and some crazy vocals. The acoustic work on the album is insane, with some crazy riffs and multiple guitars going. A perfect example of the challenging riffs is with
Sinsemilla. The guitarist is playing each note that is being sung, and it sounds great. The only problem with this song is the lyrics, which sound very repetitive and almost childish.
The lyrics in the album seem to all be about the same subjects. Of course, marijuana is the obvious subject for most songs. Even the song titles, Sinsemilla and
Couldn't Get High, give that away.
Collie Man, is a great tune. The slow tune and the great chorus really helps the song stand out as a highlight. However, Stoopid does have another side. When they are not singing about drugs, they are singing about their love for women, like in
Too Little Too Late and
I Used to Love Her.
On Acoustic Roots, Stoopid stays mostly in their comfort zone. They play their bubbling picking guitar riffs, sing in their reggae-toned voices, and even play most songs at the same tempo. Although this may sound like it would make a very boring album, it seems to work well for Stoopid. However, when Stoopid does travel outside of their usual formula, it really seems to work.
Mellow Mood, although short, is another highlight of the album. It's slow tune and rolling guitar creates a euphoric sound.
Wiseman, another slow jam, tells a story about problems in the world. Yes, Stoopid actually sings about something other than drugs or women. It sounds great, too.
The album contains two cover songs,
Sun Is Shining and
I Used To Love Her. Sun Is Shining was originally done by Bob Marley on the album Kaya. Stoopid's version really captures the feeling the original song gives off, although most of the lyrics are missing and half the song is just guitars playing. The Guns N Roses cover, I Used To Love Her, is one of the weaker points of the album. Doing a GNR cover in an acoustic-reggae tone just didn't work here.
The album ends with the short
Prophet. It starts out with a slow intro, but speeds up. The lyrics tell a little love story. When the song ends, you have a song of completeness. Acoustic Roots gives you a real euphoric, chill feeling. It's great for trips to the beach and times when you're just chilling. It really captures Stoopid's emotions perfectly. If you are a Stoopid fan, you will love this album. If not, this album may sound a little repetitive, but it will definitely grow on you, becoming one of your favorites quickly.
Slightly Stoopid is:
Miles Doughty - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Kyle McDonald - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Ryan Moran - Drums
Oguer Ocon - Congas, Percussion, Harp, Vocals
DE LA - Saxophone
C-Money - Trumpet and Keyboards
