Hailing from Cape Town, Thabo Krouwkam’s Thabo and the Crows emerge as a dynamic four-piece whose sonic palette is always changing.
Last June they brought us a well-considered project that closely examined social and political issues, with a soulful, bluesy sound blending various South African languages.
In the same way, their latest offering This Is The Medicine takes listeners on a journey through alternative folk, heavy rock, funk and even some Afro-tinged sounds here and there.
Similarly, the social commentary is strong. They delve into resistance music, addressing world conflicts on “Ceasefire” whilst delivering heartbreaking Afrikaans lyricism on “Niks is vir altyd nie”.
And then there’s the spiritual, Alice Coltrane-inspired tones of “Alhamdulillah” and “Krishna Blues”.
With Daniel Paulse on drums, Faghri Hendricks on lead guitar and Tyron Barlow-Kearsley on bass, frontman Thabo certainly has a keen eye for storytelling, or rather a keen ear, sharing captivating, multi-cultural tales of love and loss and wonder on This Is The Medicine.
But this album’s sprawling diversity is also its downfall in some ways. There’s just a bit too much going on, and stylistically, it’s hard to pin down a singular sound – a sound that is instantly recognisable as Thabo and the Crows.
And ultimately, that’s what all artists want, I think. To find a sound that is uniquely their own, a sound that distinguishes them from their peers and offers something creatively cohesive, concise, considered. And yes, artists should certainly strive for stylistic variation within that sound, but Thabo and the Crows seem to get a little bit lost, they lack structure, and the final result is a sometimes muddled eight-track offering.
Still, this rich tapestry of sound is colourful in its own way, and there’s likely something for everyone here. Listening to This Is The Medicine is like trying to find your way out of a maze. You’ll get lost along the way, but that’s part of the fun.
