The long-awaited follow-up to Nothing To Hide has finally arrived and it was well worth the wait. Bring Back The Days, is jam-packed with 13 all-original songs that blow the doors off of any preconceived notions that Rebel Souljahz might be just a "Jawaiian" party band. Rebel Souljahz has matured, having distilled their creative talents into a finely-tuned vocal group capable of offering a strong variety of musical styles and messages.
Rather than take the easy way out and repeat the musical formula of their previous CD, the group chose to move forward, pushing the boundaries of their writing, raising the bar on their singing and also working closely with producer/arranger Imua Garza to come up with a powerful and varied musical statement.
The title track, Bring Back The Days, kicks things off with its infectious Reggae/R&B rhythm, strong lead vocals from Michael Maglinti and Will Su'a and a powerful middle section from Andrew "Ragga Bubba" Hodges.
A message that threads its way through the project is commitment and the power of being in a relationship with the topic of marriage even coming up in the songs Be My Wife, I Do, and She's Mine.
The boys from Katchafire make a powerful contribution to the song Slow Down, a track with a steady rockin' groove, a catchy horn line from Katchafire's Jamey Ferguson, and a splendid blend of vocal performances from all four members of Rebel Souljahz along with Logan Bell and Leon Davey from Katchafire.
She's Mine is a sincere tip-of-the-hat to 1970s soul music, and in particular the "buddy "song, and features playful dialog throughout between Mike and Will who trade off lead vocal duties on the verses.
The tender acoustic ballad Take A Look In My Eyes, with its emotional performance and strong harmonies, shows yet another side of Rebel Souljahz.