There are plenty of breakup albums in the history of recorded music, but few, if any, have ever been inspired by a breakup with an island. In that case, consider "Paradise Low" the first of its kind.
Although originally from Barbados, Fitzroy left his homeland on the cusp of adulthood to chase his muse. In so doing, he was forced to leave paradise behind, a source of unending spirit and comfort. Although he knew he was leaving to pursue a life of music, he didn't realize it would be this departure that would ultimately inspire his tunes.
Okay, so there was a woman involved as well. Women? As in plural? Whatever. Let's just say Fitzy was homesick and heartbroken in the U.S. of A and leave it at that.
As such, "Paradise Low", came into being in the bowels of Downtown Miami. Using his bedroom as a recording studio, the Frog Prince put shoddy equipment purchased in a pawn shop to task and started laying down the vocals and tracks that would become his debut album. It initially went on sale at Fitzroy's live shows in October 2006, before hitting iTunes and other online outlets, as well as indie stores around the region, in January of 2007.
Many fans in Miami and across the Caribbean have discovered the album through the somber, haunting beachside lament "Can't Keep Waiting", a song that's in many ways the heart of the album. "Paradise Low" isn't an entirely melancholy experience however; the strutting follow-up singles "The Way I Move" and "Her" traffick in urgent, island gutterfunk, blurring the lines between hip-hop, and... well... just listen and figure out.
Further down in the program, "Badman" laces ripping guitars and a menacing bassline over a terse one-drop beat, allowing Fitzroy to catalogue a list of violent offenders who are responsible for the culture of violence hovering over the globe at present, be they bling-blind rappers or clueless presidents of major first world countries (hint, hint.) Finally, tunes such as "Turn Off The Head" and "When The Ground Falls", all awash in ambient, spacey guitars without sacrificing a requisite amount of boom, speak of cosmic questing and spiritual fulfillment. Oh yeah, and love too.
In sum, "Paradise Low" captures the sound of a man charting his way across the waters that lie between all that he knew and all that he's seeking, an exciting but often sorrowful journey.
Then again, maybe it's just some damn fresh music. You decide.
- Reggie S. Ruddock
MP3's also available at iTunes and Gotrhythm.com.
CDs also available at CDbaby.com.
