Muristek
At 72, Horace Andy has made one of his finest albums. The golden-throated reggae star talks drinking pints, vanishing royalties – and why his Bristolian comrades need to get a move on
On a call to Horace Andy in Kingston, Jamaica, it appears that reggae’s sweetest voice is out and about – motorcycles roar past, dogs bark fiercely, children shriek and incoming calls interrupt our chat. “It’s hot here. And it nice,” says Andy. “Covid hit Jamaica but not like it hit London – less people here – so I been safe.”
I almost expect Andy to say “safe from harm” as, on Midnight Rocker, his first official album of new recordings in almost a decade, he covers the Massive Attack song of that name. Andy, 72, is now best known as the Bristol group’s reggae singer, a constant touring member who has contributed to all five of their albums after his long solo career immersed in rocksteady, dancehall and other Jamaican styles. That’s him delivering the unforgettable call of “loveyouloveyoulove…” in Massive Attack’s Angel, and giving long notes his wondrous, low-frequency vibrato.
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