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Archive for the ‘Review’ Category
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REVIEW: Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
Michael Kiwanuka‘s much anticipated debut album, Home Again, is out now via Communion Records. Beyond a year or two of underground gigs, highly sought after EPs, radio appearances and a handful of accolades, the album is here.
Most reviews for this album start either with the words ‘neo-soul’ or ‘BBC Sound of 2012’, but let us consider this without any of that baggage. We’re not here to necessarily review the man’s chances of success, we’re just here to say what we … [read more]
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REVIEW: Gang Colours – The Keychain Collection
For those who may not yet be familiar with Gang Colours, let’s start with the introductions; Gang Colours is the artist name for Will Ozanne, a young producer from Southampton, signed to Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings imprint, and it’s really not hard to see why the much-revered DJ fell in love with Ozanne’s music.
The first track on Gang Colours’ debut album, The Keychain Collection, is called Heavy Petting, and it’s the best opening to an album I’ve heard in years. It … [read more]
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REVIEW: Portico Quartet – Portico Quartet
Portico Quartet‘s self-titled third album has finally landed via Real World Records, the label originally started by Peter Gabriel back in 1989.
The UK-based Portico Quartet, so named after inclement weather at an early gig called for a performance under a portico, return at the beginning of 2012 with a slight alteration in personnel. Nick Mulvey, who previously played Hang, the angelic Swiss instrument that gave distinction to Portico Quartet’s early material, has left to pursue solo projects, and is replaced by … [read more]
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REVIEW: Various Artists – Spiritual Jazz 2: Europe
Following on from 2008′s first incarnation of Jazzman Records‘ compilation, Spiritual Jazz, comes a second excursion into the rarely defined sub-genre, entitled; Spiritual Jazz 2: Europe. As the name purports, this compilation focusses on spiritual jazz music from Europe. Specifically it focusses on music created between 1960 and 1978, all under the tagline of being; Esoteric, modal and deep jazz from the European undergound.
Out right now on CD, 2xLP and digital download, Spiritual Jazz 2 contains eleven absolutely exquisite tracks. The … [read more]
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REVIEW: J*DaVeY – New Designer Drug
J*DaVeY‘s long awaited album, New Designer Drug, is finally here. Due for release on 22 November through their own ILLAV8R imprint (and not Warner), the album will actually come as a free download bundled with purchases of NDD: The Liner Notes.
Within the music industry all artists have their own area of expertise, from James Brown’s soul and funk to A Tribe Called Quest’s jazz infused hip-hop. Some artists, like the darlings of the LA new-wave scene J*DaVeY, have … [read more]
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REVIEW: Blue Daisy – The Sunday Gift
Young Camden native Kwesi Darko – aka Blue Daisy – has been teasing us over the last couple of years with scraps of intriguing and imaginative production, from the Flying Lotus jerk of Wolf to the floating Space Ex featuring LaNote, all hinting at what a full Blue Daisy album might sound like. Well now Blue Daisy, and the Black Acre label, have provided the answer with the recent release of his debut album The Sunday Gift.
The album is indeed a gift, though … [read more]
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REVIEW: 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years
9th Wonder recently released his fourth solo LP, The Wonder Years, on his own imprint, It’s A Wonderful World Music Group.
Few hip-hop musicians command the loyalty and respect that 9th Wonder does and it may be this that colours some of the rhymes and skits on this album. Right from the off, there is a short intro discussing the idea of legacy and the lack of control that one has over such matters. But from there on follows a classic, sample-laden album … [read more]
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REVIEW: Sheep,Dog&Wolf – Ablutophobia EP
Sheep,Dog&Wolf is 17-year old Daniel McBride from New Zealand. Now, age is indeed but a number, but when you’ve read all I have to say in this review and you – hopefully – listen to his music, you’ll read my opening sentence once more for a bit of startling emphasis. Just 17 years old. Comparable to other alternative folk-rock artists like Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver and Beirut, Sheep,Dog&Wolf‘s Ablutophobia EP is an absolutely stunning array of organic instrumentation and sheer passion.
Self-released via Bandcamp… [read more]
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REVIEW: Submotion Orchestra Live at Jazz Cafe, London
This past Saturday night, 19th March, I was in attendance for the London leg of Submotion Orchestra‘s UK tour at the Jazz Cafe in London. The venue was absolutely rammed full of people – the signs outside said “SOLD OUT” and they weren’t lying either!
There was a lot of hype recently when promo for the track All Yours began to do the rounds and the hype was for good reason. Genuinely the first new piece of music I’d heard for a while that … [read more]