Xavier Rudd

By now, you’ve heard all the comparisons: Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Cat Stevens Dave Matthews. Sure, they’re all there, but what separates this Point Break extra from the above three cats is the reggae vibe that Xavier Rudd adds to this debut (oh, and the didj). On Solace, recorded in my Vancouver hood, Rudd blends stunning vocals, slick guitar work, and the infamous didjeridoo to create arrangements that bridge the gap between the folky-grooves of Jack Johnson with the beat-infused Caribbean rhythms of Bob Marley.

His voice toggles between a breathless Ben Harper falsetto to a Dave Matthews growl and the instrumentation blends straight-forward chord progressions with didj outbursts that provide wonderful interruptions during songs.

"Let Me Be" has an almost backwater beat that swaggers between the perfect song to walk across the country to, and a foot-stompin’ dancehall crasher. Marley’s "No Woman, No Cry" works well with the slide guitar that Rudd adds. When he sings "Everything’s gonna be alright," one can’t help but believe him. The aura he projects is one of endless summer nights, nature and man living together in harmony, and a world dominated by acoustic guitars.

More than anything, this album is fluid. Songs blend effortlessly together as the tempo fluctuates between slogging beats and up-tempo chuggers. As summer winds its way down, its good to have albums like Solace around for when the winter hits. Rudd’s voice is all suntans, surfboards, and hikes into the hills and its impossible to think there’s anything more important than that.