Exuma's third album, and first for the Kama Sutra label, moves away a bit from the voodoo imagery of his two Mercury albums, instead going for a good-timey sound similar to the New Orleans gumbo of
Dr. John. The Bahamian singer/guitarist adds a horn section to some tunes, most notably the two-part title track, a rollicking, hypnotic groove. The expanded instrumentation supports
Exuma's growly voice and primal acoustic guitar instead of supplanting it, as it would on later, more commercially inclined albums. Call and response vocals, snaky percussion, and an increased element of social commentary color songs like "Silver City" and "The Bowery."
Exuma and his mostly percussive band wend their way through the eight mostly lengthy ("22nd Century" runs nine droning minutes) tracks with the mixture of smoldering passion and infectious joy that's at the heart of Bahamian music. ~ Stewart Mason