Album Review: Bryant Street by Dubtribe Sound System

The P.R. people at Jive Electro claim that Bryant Street recalls the "haunting seriousness" of Rage Against The Machine and the "melodic touch" of Led Zeppelin. Apparently, they have the version of "Led Zeppelin 4" where Page and Plant tinker around with drum machines and 303s as they try to create the definitive house anthem. Or maybe not. Fortunately, these dubious comparisons don't detract from the exquisite deep house sound of this album. Dubtribe Sound System are Sunshine and Moonbeam, a duo more usually seen playing live than recording, and judging from this effort, they must send dance floors mad. Flavored with touches of salsa and samba, the songs flow seamlessly into each other, from the infectious hooks of the opening "Hasta Luego Mi Hermano" to the delicate vocals of Moonbeam floating over the Latin beat of "El Regalo De Amor." True, Sunshine's spoken-word in "Holler," the odd choice for a first single, is overly pretentious--he sounds like a gospel preacher gone New Age in proclamations like "we must rise to embrace our destiny." But other than that, Bryant Street never lets up, sounding like a recording of the killer DJ set that blew your mind and took your legs out with it.