ANTIBALAS AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA - WHO IS THIS AMERICA?

Finally, I get to review a CD that I genuinely like! It’s a little intimidating, since I won’t be able to hide my lack of musical knowledge behind sarcastic, critical remarks. In fact, maybe I’m not the right person to be discussing Antibalas\' Who Is This America? Without the intricate historical details that a competent reviewer might include, I can tell you that this is a very solid album.
When listening to Who Is This America?-- along with any of their other albums-- it’s very apparent that all 14+ musicians are having an infectiously good time. Afrobeat in and of itself is great at getting seats to scoot. However, Antibalas has power enough to get your 50-years-postmortem great grandma grooving! The tricky thing about this band is that they’re more than pretty sounds and bumping buttocks. Antibalas carries a message.
The group’s founder, Martin Perna, calls it a \"weapon\". The way the music pulls you in and then somewhat subtly interjects its statement, I might call it an undercover weapon. With the release of Who Is This America? (intentionally) coinciding with prime presidential campaign time, songs like \"Indictment\" and \"Big Man\" unmistakably articulate their stance.
Whether you listen to this album for its beats or its brains, it is definitely a Trojan horse worth exploring.