The first I’ve heard of this concept 10/10/10 (ten albums in ten genres over ten years) and it’s a very cool challenge for this talented artist to set, the next installment will be called Holy Colony Burning Acres which delves into the dark corners of worldly indigenous issues and politics, weighty subject matter indeed. First cab off the rank is single/video Babylon Grows.
Diving into Bob Marley territory is never an easy thing to pull off, but these guys nail it. Even with its short running time of a mere 2:30 seconds this song still manages to pack a punch. Troy’s soulful vocal delivery underpinned by lush melodies really hits that sweet note, and with its catchy chorus Babylon Grows does indeed grow on you with repeated listening. His band The Upperclass are right on point, tight and playing with enough space to let Troy's vocal delivery shine through.
The video is simple and straight to the point, fire cascades throughout, I assume to coincide with the burning acres title theme from his forthcoming album. Troy is super imposed in silhouette as is an indigenous dancer throughout over beautiful world nature backdrops, it’s a simple mechanism but works very well to paint the picture.
Worth a mention is b-side Truganini. The song kicks off with an aboriginal man speaking as Troy soulfully sings over a sparse acoustic guitar, with laid back barely there drums this one has a stripped back Trinity Roots vibe. Truganini is a soulful spiritual lullaby that celebrates the life of the woman and her struggles and enduring strength, she was believed to be the last full-blooded Aboriginal Tasmanian.
I really enjoyed these tunes and look forward to hearing more once his third album drops.
Bay of Islands-based musician/actor Troy Kingi has embarked on an eventful few years with major acting roles in Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Pa Boys, Mt Zion and The Kick, while also enjoying a successful music career. Troy Kingi was nominated for an APRA Silver Scroll last year and earned Vodafone Music Awards for Best NZ Soul Artist and Best Maori Artist in 2018. His side project, collaborative soul band L(())VE & HOPE also received rave reviews but Troy's most recent offering is his politically charged roots/reggae record, Holy Colony Burning Acres.