Sublime with Rome is not Sublime, first and foremost. In their latest album, “Yours Truly,” released July 12, front man Rome Ramirez does not try to reincarnate the unique style once carried by Sublime’s original singer Bradley Nowell. Instead, Ramirez has simply taken an already-existing talent and made it his own.
Sublime With Rome, consisting of two-thirds the original Long Beach ska/punk/reggae band Sublime, drummer Bud Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson have combined with Rome to bring an entirely different angle of their music. However, the new record falls just below the mark of ambience out of the ordinary.
Sublime with Rome’s foundation revolves around the sounds of the original Sublime, with the distinct reggae bass lines of Wilson and skanking-upbeat drums by Gaugh. Those sounds are then joined with Ramirez’s own rhythm guitar and easy listening vocals. The result is an overall easy listen reggae band that is not so memorable. Although Ramirez’s talent is considered distinct in the alternative world, the collaboration is lost in the wake of overflowing music in general.
Tracks like “Panic,” “My World” and “Paper Cuts” bring the tempo up to speed for ska/punk but, unfortunately, Ramirez lacks the ability for power vocals that would otherwise give the aggressive feel that punk demands. When listening to “PCH,” the record takes a turn to the easy listening style of Jack Johnson or Shwayze.
Gaugh and Wilson began their music careers with Bradley Nowell in 1988 as the band Sublime, ultimately recognizing the Long Beach lifestyle and politics. After Sublime disbanded — followed by Nowell’s death in 1996 — both Gaugh and Wilson continued their music careers by forming their own bands. They remained loyal to not only the roots of their influences and styles of ska. reggae, and rock, but also proudly represented their origin of Long Beach, with band names such as the Long Beach Dub Allstars (Gaugh and Wilson) and the Long Beach Shortbus (Wilson). It wasn’t until 2009 that Gaugh and Wilson reformed with Ramirez to create Sublime With Rome.
Ramirez, 23, was introduced when he co-wrote the song “Lay Me Down” with The Dirty Heads. At a young age, he listened to Sublime while growing up in Northern California. With much influence by the late Nowell, it’s obvious that Rome would have a similar sound as that of Nowell’s.
Ramirez, however, brings a sense relaxation and soothing sound than his counterpart, which comes with a different direction, lyrically. He revolves around intimate and physical attractions, heartbreaks and indecisions.
Lyrically, the tracks do not provide enough hook to inspire someone to sing a song over and over again. With the exception of the chorus of their first single, “Panic,” which repeatedly screams “…How can you say you don’t wanna know, don’t wanna know the truth…” the tracks are mostly forgettable.
The record changes in attitude as is plays on. “Panic” lures the listener in with its aggression, but begins to lose its audience with similar-sounding tracks like “Only” and “Lovers Rock” — their second single — before being awakened by “My World.” The record then falls back into the ambient sounds of voice echoes, synthesized drums, and samplers. The trance ends with “Can You Feel It”, in which Ramirez is joined with rapper Wiz Kalifa to bring the urban style of hip-hop into the mix.
Sublime With Rome is a new band with an old familiar name. The record is not a continuation of Sublime but rather an incarnation of two sounds that can stand without the other. Gaugh, Wilson and Rome bring great talent but the original Sublime brings a reputation that cannot be subdued. Ultimately, with comparison, comes disappointment.
