Sampling — Saltwater Grass

SALTWATER GRASS
SALTWATER GRASS
Self-released, 2009

By Nick McGregor

Reggae rock is a genre that boasts its share of easily recognizable clichés: fast-strummed guitar chords, formulaic lyrics concerning the sun, the surf, and smoking pot, and a solid rhythm section featuring bass and drums passable enough to make the whole shebang sound great after a few Sunday afternoon beers. Standing out in the crowded reggae rock field shouldn’t be too hard, then, and Jacksonville Beach band Saltwater Grass proves that point by easily transcending the narrow stereotype. On their self-titled debut album — recorded right here in the Oldest at Eclipse Studios — Saltwater Grass has produced a jazz-inflected, blues-tinged, just-countrified-enough dose of coastal Florida-inspired originality.

Opener “Party Ball” boasts a simple two-chord structure that’s instantly livened up by multi-instrumentalist Jeff Hoff’s rough-around-the-edges trumpet. Singer/guitarist Rich Hansen, whose pleasantly gruff pipes were trained by bluegrass pickers, adds a tinge of melancholy to the late-night tale, while lead guitarist Ryan Daley’s sparkling slide guitar also blesses the track. On “The Truth,” Hansen’s throaty preacher-style delivery dazzles, especially on the telling lyric “Revolution sounds great until the rent comes due.” And that’s all before Hoff’s wailing Black Sabbath harmonica and on-point congas from percussionist Juan Pablo Salvat steal the show. Only two songs in, it’s obvious that Saltwater Grass isn’t just another lame Slightly Stoopid rip-off.

Hoff matches Daley’s buoyant guitar note for note on “Boxes,” while “I’ll Be Around” gets the acoustic blues treatment, with Hoff’s harmonica again shining brightly alongside the Allman Brothers-reminiscent guitar solo. “Further On Down The Road” is the first song on Saltwater Grass that boasts a proper reggae lineage, with a loping dub bass line courtesy of Austin Johnston perfectly accompanying the surf-themed lazy day lyrics. But “Yesterday” is more of the same, save for Alex Santeiro’s steady drumming and Daley’s psychedelic guitar pedal, which also dominates the so-so instrumental “Brooklyn.”

The back end of the album finds Saltwater Grass stretching their legs, cruising through jam-rock workout “Slow Road To Georgia” before light R&B and funk accentuate the break-up tale “End Up Getting Down.” Whirlwind acoustic guitars and introspective lyrics from Hansen place “Ricardo’s Waltz” firmly in Dave Matthews Band territory, while “You Can’t Run” clearly owes a debt to the swamp rock of fellow Jacksonville products JJ Grey & Mofro. And album closer “At Least,” while nothing extraordinary, sounds catchy enough to put a smile on the face of any live audience.

So sure, Saltwater Grass may be front-loaded, with its strongest and most original tracks coming in the first third of the album. But at least this Jax Beach sextet stepped out of their comfort zone, wandering through North Florida’s rich, rootsy musical soil instead of focusing solely on the pleasant but constricting sounds of the sea.