A Review of Sonz of Thunder UK's 'Money Talk'
Throughout the history of humanity’s interaction with sounds and lyrics, music has not only come to be an outlet for collective expression – it has also become a barometer for gauging the heartbeat of a people and, much more than that, serves as a fluid system of connection and communication between man’s inter-connection with himself and with the cosmos, often functioning in a call-and-answer manner.
Sonz of Thunder UK, might just have pushed the boundaries of Dancehall music
To provide some context, Jamaican Dancehall and Reggae artist, Buju Banton in a recent interview on Drink Champs, described Dancehall as a ‘sexualized’ and ‘slangy’ genre of musical expression that finds relevance mostly with the younger generation, as opposed to the higher order for which Reggae finds relevance. It is quite easy to interpret Buju’s comparison as a relegation of Dancehall to a lesser important position as far as spiritual and social edification go. Still, there will be no attempt here to make a case for, or against, Dancehall. Instead, it might be best to point out an observation; that the music duo, Sonz of Thunder UK, might just have pushed the boundaries of Dancehall with their latest single, ‘Money Talk’.
‘Money Talk’ lyrically addresses the manner in which the elevation of capitalism and the drive to make money shapes our values. It is reminiscent of Tarrus Riley’s ‘Simple Blessings’ – calling the attention of listeners to the course which everyone has considered default behaviour. ‘Money Talk’, like any Reggae music of a high order, nudges society to pause for a moment and take stock of their collective lives – only that ‘Money Talk’ sits comfortably in the Dancehall genre, lyrically delivering its message in rich Patois against instrumental arrangement that captures the mind as well as the body.
Sonz of Thunder UK, consisting of brothers, Shane Brown and Dean Brown, have made a name for themselves in the UK gospel reggae scene and this musical background is lyrically brought on board in the delivery of ‘Money Talk’.
‘Money Talk’ sits comfortably in the Dancehall genre, lyrically delivering its message in rich Patois
Produced by Zabdiel Campbell, ‘Money Talk’ was released across music streaming platforms on August 20.
