How To Get Even by Sabatta is black music as Art Terry would put it. Sabatta are exactly the sort of black music Art's long running show has been promoting, the sort that usually doesn't get described as such, but is made by Black artists like Yinka Oyewole a Nigerian, Essex dragged up, South London funk-rocker, who formed Sabatta alongside Adam Frederick Jacques. The bands latest album was recorded at Shrunken Head Studios by Alex Franklinos while crediting Art Terry as Location manager on the bands videos.
The album opens with Something that has scattergun drums with carefully spaced guitars fired at us as Yinka starts to tell us about all the things troubling him, all the facts he isn't sure if he believes or not, as he does his best not to fit into the pigeon holes society has for him, before the guitars start to wail away.
Get Your Shit Together is a message many of us have had nailed into us, and Sabatta are no different, as the soulful vocals on this single keep imploring us to sort ourselves out, allowing the funky guitar to help us not fall any further, just Get Your Shit Together and sort yourself out finally, whilst stopping all the dangerous games.
To Love Me Is To Know Me may be the sort of line you'd expect from a preacher, explaining the relationship you should have with god, only in this case, as the crunchy guitars nag away, Sabatta tell us why you should love him, it don't matter if he's on trend or fleek, deep down he's one of the good guys and don't you forget it, no matter how battered and scarred he might be, he's still rap singing about how he's not a baddie.
Plugged In has a spartan riff nagging away, as they want you to plug your brain in and make something of your life, as the low end eats away at your self-doubt.
Blood Sweat And Tears is acknowledging that you can't get through the times we live in without shedding some Blood Seat And Tears, as the stop start funky bassline holds it all down while you knuckle down and get on with it.
Get Over Yourself was one of the earlier singles that lays out the reality that far too many people are up themselves for no good reason, or they won't let you bang your head to the monster guitar freak out like you want too.
Not Today is a story song that hits hard for this Music Writer come Cab driver as the central action involves a cab, a disputed studio fee, funky guitar and someone who's not getting away with it today.
So take your baseball bat and go figure out everything going on with this tune, as the notes fly by, getting more and more frazzled, as there is no doubt how catchy this song is.
Take You There to get some Bernie Torme meets Bernie Worrell funk metal power trio bidness that's BAAAD!
Here I Go Again has soulful storytelling about seductive relationships, as friends may or may not become lovers, the guitars implore you to dance towards each other, before sparks fly in all directions.
How To Get Even is someone going on a revenge spree full of violence and pain, for someone on the wrong side of an argument, trying to find a way to get even, as you've been used and abused once again, you gotta have some revenge.
One Chance is another dark street tale of theft and anger, fighting to just be able to survive, pain wracked guitar ramming against the steady as can be drumming holding everything up.
The album closes with Small Victories that opens acoustically, quite laid back, celebrating surviving to fight another day, as it gets heavier it's clear it's gonna be another tough day, but hopefully you'll get to smile and carry on, no matter what, ignore everything all the haters say about you, hold your head up, this is a very neat song.
Find out more https://sabatta.bandcamp.com/album/how-to-get-even https://www.facebook.com/sabatta
