I HAVE A DREAM - GROUP 1 CREW
This Florida threesome’s opening salvo weds masterful wordplay to massive grooves and plenty of meat on the bone in melody and message. Founder Manwell Reyes and Crew-man Pablo Villatoro throw down rhymes of hope salvaged from despair, and faith and love in the face of fear, without a wasted word or sappy sentiment anywhere. On one relentlessly hooky song after another (”Love Is a Beautiful Thing,” “A Lot in Common” and the utterly haunting “Forgive Me”), producers Christopher Stevens and Andy Anderson pull fresh sounds from a formidable bag of tricks, lacing together pulse-pounding backbeats, shimmering strings, crystalline acoustic guitars and a wide array of techno things, with stacks and stacks of Blanca Reyes’ sweet and sassy vocals. An addictive debut from a group that should be labeled “Caution: Contents Seriously Catchy.” Billboard
