I didn’t see Blackbird on many 2013 year end lists and that’s a shame, because this album by New Zealand’s Fat Freddy’s Drop reveals new bits of brilliance with every listen. I’m one of the fanatics that evangelizes for this band.

“Mother, Mother” is a sublime bit of electro afro-beat with the dub reggae DNA that informs most of the band’s sound. Joe Dukie’s lyrics are open to interpretation. Are they personal, applicable to all of our mothers or a wider meditation on the environment? Perhaps all of the above.