Miami Beach, Florida, home of South Beach, Little Havana, and some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. It is also home of pop/funk/reggae artist Zander. Zander recently dropped his EP entitled “Sunshine State of Mind”.
Combining elements of pop, funk, and reggae, Zander has gained notoriety providing support for legendary reggae group The Wailers. Zander has the ability to take songs about relationship problems, political problems, and social problems and make the arrangements into such a carefree melody and vibe.
The falsetto crooning coupled with the scintillating reggae vibe immediately sets the tone for “Sunshine State of Mind” with the track “Right Here”. In this song, Zander’s songwriting abilities should be immediately noticed as he encourages the listener to live for the moment and cast your worries aside. The lyric “I know that you’re always away with the breeze/but right here, right now, you’re here with me” emphasizes that point of not worrying when you’re spending time with the one that you cherish. Zander illustrates that vibe that we need in today’s troubled times, just vibe with him and enjoy the moments.
There are small elements of ska incorporated with reggae that would make Tunnel Vision and Sublime fans happy in “Rock Steady”. This illustrates that Zander just wants us to have a good time, which is what the music in this song is all about. In a subtle way, Zander illustrates political and societal problems in the tracks “Sunshine State” and “I’m Out”. This is illustrated in the second verse of the title track where Zander sings:
“Turn on the TV, another sad story/one lie after a lie/all they do is point the finger and find someone to blame/but the problem’s way bigger and they’re playing the game”
If you’re looking for that reggae artist that is ready to be the flagbearer, look no further than Zander. He has strong messages in the lyrics, lush arrangements that are full, and just a wonderful vibe to boot. Madness To Creation rates this EP a solid 8.5 out of 10 stars. Here is the track listing.
- Right Here
- Rock Steady
- Sunshine State (featuring Bernz)
- I’m Out
- Ocean Floor
Zander has a few tour dates coming up. Check out the dates below.
Friday, August 3rd- Daytona Beach Week After Party @ Rok Bar in Daytona Beach, Florida
Saturday, August 4th- Daytona Beach Week After Party @ Roof Bar in Daytona Beach, Florida
Monday, August 6th- The Phoenix Charity Bar in Lake Worth, Florida
Thursday, August 23rd- Park City Mountain in Park City, Utah
For tickets and further information on any of the shows listed above, click here.
Fans can find Zander at the following locations:
