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Bonjahbango: Bonjahbango

Any band that has a light reggae groove bubbling underneath choppy acoustic guitars and the odd Chili Pepper-type riff is invariably going to get compared to Ben Harper and/or Jack Johnson. The music put together here by the four members of bonjahbango certainly fits that bill. The band have been favourites on the Dunedin live scene for around eight years but have now decided to head into the great unknown of performing and recording their own music with this album of original material. It's a record that highlights the empathy and instrumental interplay that comes from an accomplished group of musicians who have worked together over time. Unfortunately it is hard to maintain interest over an entire album where each song features similar sounding guitar riffs tied to the same mid tempo reggae style groove. It is this lack of variety that makes it difficult to get to the end of an album that, at 15 songs, is probably four tracks too long. That said however there is no denying the band's musicality and the live appeal they must hold for the surfer/student crowd with their rhythmic blend of acoustic roots tunes.