Leonard Bram – Hold That Smile [Lost Sessions 1975]Roots Reggae | Dub | Vintage Family Stories

Hold That Smile is a fictional 1975 roots-reggae album about the strange little performance involved in making a family photograph—and what that photograph can mean after the moment itself has disappeared. Heavy analog bass, relaxed one-drop drums, clipped guitar, bubbling organ, sparse piano, restrained horns and worn tape echo give the record a reflective mid-1970s atmosphere. The same ten songs from its companion album return in a different sequence, placing greater emphasis on memory and what happens after the camera has been put away. Miss Celia opens inside the studio with the patient assistant preparing customers for the lens. Picture Ready Friday moves immediately beyond the portrait session as the family waits several days to discover what the camera actually captured. “Chin Up Small” returns to the affectionate confusion of posing, while I Want One Copy considers the value placed on a photograph when limited money means only one print can be purchased. Flashbulb transforms the instant of exposure into a meditation on time. Who Blinked Again? and Three Children Still keep the record grounded in humor. Stand Closer gives the photographer’s instruction another meaning, while Jacket from My Brother explores dignity through borrowed clothing. Curtain Behind Us closes by looking back at the finished portrait years later: the backdrop remains unchanged, but the people standing before it have grown older and their lives have moved in different directions. reggae music, roots reggae, vintage reggae, dub reggae, deep roots reggae, old school reggae, 1970s reggae style, analog reggae, one drop reggae, roots and culture, vintage dub, reggae storytelling, conscious reggae, soulful reggae, vintage roots reggae, Leonard Bram, Hold That Smile, 1975 reggae, lost reggae sessions, fictional reggae album, Miss Celia, Picture Ready Friday, Chin Up Small, I Want One Copy, Flashbulb, Who Blinked Again, Three Children Still, Stand Closer, Jacket from My Brother, Curtain Behind Us, family reggae, photography reggae, portrait reggae, reggae about memories, reggae about family, reggae about time, working class reggae, everyday life reggae, vintage reggae storytelling, deep reggae mix, roots reggae album #ReggaeMusic #RootsReggae #VintageReggae #DubReggae #DeepRootsReggae #OldSchoolReggae #AnalogReggae #OneDropReggae #RootsAndCulture #VintageDub #ConsciousReggae #JamaicanRootsStyle #ClassicReggaeSound #WarmAnalogReggae #RootsReggaeSession #VintageReggaeStorytelling #DeepReggaeMix #RootsReggaeAlbum #LostTapes #ReggaeArchive