by Taiwo Damilola

Title: Yes I Am

Artiste: Etcetera

Category: Album

At a time when we hope and constantly pray for succor for our ears – succor from ‘tragic’ music – Etcetera’s indigenous brand of soft rock saves the day yet again!

Yes I Am, Etcetera’s sophomore studio effort, comes a year after his 2009 eponymous debut Etcetera and also brings an end to his ‘3-year, 2-album’ record deal with Extreme Music. On this album, Etcetera defies digitally generated music by recording the album entirely with a live band, fusing soft rock with indigenous sounds thus creating a sound that gets the listener hooked from first listen.

Yes I Am captures the intensity of a live performance while giving you a nostalgic return to what made you love Etcetera in the first place. His work may only be compared with Eben’s 2008 gospel rock album Eben on the Rock.

Etcetera hits home with his guileless social commentary on songs like Ring the Alarm (where he asks, ‘who will save us now? OPC? Bakassi? ICPC? EFCC? They are all CCC, yet they are so blind they can’t see), Federal Character without Bad Manners and Ghost Workers beside Ikoyi Cemetery– delivering his lyrics with the right emotions and stirring our souls to action.

What’s an Etcetera album without a love song? On Third Eye Blind, he sings of uncompromising love, on 500 Letters, he sings of the consequences of infidelity with a tinge of dark humour. The depth and quality of Etcetera Ejikeme’s music goes without saying – Yes I Am is his masterpiece! – Y!

Oluwapelumi