During their international tours, the members of Dub Inc always make the effort to give one of their songs an acoustic makeover. In 2017, the French band also started filming those acoustic street sessions and post the clips on their YouTube channel. The videos were such a success that Dub Inc now also wanted to collect the acoustic versions of those songs on one album, resulting in 'Acoustic'.
The album, for now only available as a digital download, contains 8 tracks, recorded on location in Africa (Ouagadougou, Goma), Central America (Mexico), in their home base Saint-Etienne and during a concert in Paris.
'Acoustic' opens with 'Partout Dans Ce Monde', an acoustic version of the song from 'Paradise'. The lyrics of the song were originally intended as an indictment of fascism, but in the context of the current COVID-19 measures suddenly get a whole new meaning:
Partout dans ce monde il y a des voix qui résonnent
Un peuple, une foule à qui on ne pardonne
Un combat et des dépouilles, des cœurs qu'on emprisonne
Tous en zone de non droit
For 'Rude Boy' we have to go back a lot further, as that song comes from 'Diversité', the band's 2003 debut album.
Frédéric Peyron's accordion plays a leading role on several of the tracks on 'Acoustic', but we prefer 'Enfants Des Ghettos', which features the voice of Burkinabe Alif Naaba, with the kora of his compatriot Massa Dembele standing out, and the similar 'Farafina', in which Naaba this time is joined by Burkinabe kora player Bomboro Kosso, who, like Dub Inc, is based in Saint-Etienne.
Another definite highlight is the acoustic version of 'Maché Bécif' from 'So What', originally a statement against religious fundamentalism, but now a true Dub Inc anthem.
Acoustic reggae albums are far from a novelty anymore, but when done right, they still offer added value, and that is certainly the case with this 'Acoustic'.