Hollie Cook
“Dub Me In Your Arms”
Mr. Bongo
You never really know why you’re attracted to a certain style of music, but I’ve always had an ear for dub. It’s a wonderful side product of the ska / reggae movement that emerged from Jamaica in the 1960s.
With dub tracks, they’re making them heavier, with bigger bass and more reverb and a sense of weightlessness with the vocals, as though the singer were drowning and their voice only carries through when they come up for air.
A recent discovery in this vein is Hollie Cook’s sensational dub treatment of her album “Shy Girl In Dub!” It brings dubbed-out versions of her songs from the record “Shy Girl” under the production lens of Ben McKone, who lovingly adds echo and reverb and pumps up the bass on all 12 of these heavyweight dubs.
It’s been tough to pick a favorite of that dubbed-out dozen, but I’m currently in love with “Dub Me In Your Arms” and its throbbing bassline and gentle stabs of piano. (Reminds me of another great Jamaican track where the Chosen Few cover Smoky Robinson’s “Tears Of A Clown.”)
When Cook’s voice comes hovering over this track, she’s in full command. It sounds like she’s from another world; like a voice emerging from the static of a television set late at night, surrounded by this swirl of noise and rhythm and crisp snare pops.
Both Cook’s original “Shy Girl” album and this new dub reset are absolutely worth your time.
