Words by Jesse Serwer—
New Kingston—brother trio Courtney, Tahir (also known as “Slim”) and Stephen (aka “Suki”)—have been staples at live reggae events in New York since their early teens, while recent years have seen them trod the world on tour with Collie Buddz. Along the way, and with the help of their veteran session player father (and bassist), Courtney Sr., they’ve honed their own pop-reggae sound, a style they’re set to showcase on the upcoming album, Kingston University. “Life” is the first single from the LP, out Feb. 5 and, if you enjoy the melodica, this one is definitely for you. Sure, the foundation-style riddim and Uhuru-esque vocals start off the thing with a nice vibes. But it’s the appearance of an Augustus Pablo-like melodica that elevates “Life” to the next level, and has us playing this one on repeat.
Stream “Life” below, watch the “Life” video trailer here and look out for the video premiere on LargeUp, on Feb. 5