Youngblood Brass Band- Pax Volumi

 

Funk and jazz, hip-hop and punk; these are just some of the places that Youngblood Brass Band have gone to draw inspiration for this latest release.

Pax Volumi, the fourth album from this 10-piece collective from across America. Blending hip-hop rapping with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, jazzy horn lines, punk-y beats and funky bass lines, there really is something to appeal to all audiences about this music.

The album successfully captures the energetic craziness of the live band, and shows off the way the group is influenced by New Orleans Dixieland jazz with the semi-improvised nature of the tracks, and the interaction between the different parts.

Youngblood Brass band really have got some fantastic tracks on this album- the opener and debut single, ’20 Questions’ shows off their Hip-hop stylings to great aplomb. The horn riffs crackle like fire and the lyrics come thick and fast. ‘Wrestlevania’ is a much more jazzy number- instrumental, it shows off the band’s prowess as players. The cover of Chaka Khan’s 80s classic ‘Ain’t Nobody’ is full of life and energy, with some great sections of powerful horns, with a slightly latin beat. ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ takes the feel and sounds of a New Orleans funeral march, slow and sombre, before lifting up into a celebration of life with the segue into ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow.’ The moments where individuals have solos only serves to show how talented the individuals who make up the band are- both tasteful and complicated, these short solos add little bits of individual character to certain tracks, rather than being used as something to have in every song.

Overall, this album crackles with energy, and shows off the talents of the band as a whole; as well as individual musicians. Equal parts jazz, rock, hip-hop and funk, there is something for everyone on this release.

8.5/10

Lazy Habits- Lazy Habits

Mixing Hip-hop beats with New Orleans Dixieland Jazz, Lazy Habits’ sound definitely keeps a mixture of the old and new well and alive.

Opening with an instrumental, New Orleans style funeral march “Processional”, Lazy Habits opens in a calm, sombre style, which is immediately revoked with the first full number, “Ashes”, showing how the group mixes rapped lyrics and brass jazz licks and riffs which creates a hard hitting style and enables the group to get a range of textures, fusing funky bass riffs, and piano melodies with the horns.

“Surface Dirt”, shows a more mellow side of the band, opening with a lilting piano solo before coming in with the rest of the band.

Lyrically, Lazy Habits retain just the hip-hop, rap style of vocals and tend to write about diverse subjects such as modern life, drug problems, and broken families.

The album is, at 16 tracks, a bit long, which means that there are some tracks that feel a bit like fillers, which could be taken out to still leave a fill length album. The tracks follow largely the same pattern, other than the opening and closing instrumental numbers (“Processional” and “Ghosts (On My Way/Small Screen)”- which closes the album in a lonely, melancholic style).

Overall, the album is very well written, and the quality of musicianship good too. But it could have done with a few fewer tracks in order to retain a high quality and more contrast between the songs.

5/10

José James- No Beginning, No End

Laid back, groovy and soulful, this latest release from José James shows the continuation of the musical journey begun on his previous albums Black Magic and The Dreamer. The opening track, “It’s All Over (Your Body)” starts the album in exactly the way it goes on, with an unusual off beat rhythm and an overall laid back grooviness.

Other stand-out tracks include the much more pop-influenced “Heaven On The Ground”, which features the vocal and acoustic guitar stylings of Emily King, the addition of her to the group creates an interesting, more accessible take on José James’ music.

Being attached to the Blue Note Record Label means that José James is affiliating himself with the long line of Jazz classics which were released them, whilst simultaneously keeping one foot in the modern camp. This music mixes soulful Jazz melodies, allusions to hip hop influences, and a completely groovy feel.

Much of the music on the album is immensely relaxed. Creating a sophisticated mood; infusing Jazz beats with soulful melodies.

The music manages to retain the feel of classic Jazz acts who's influences can be heard throughout the album, with a large dose of soul and gospel thrown in for good measure. James is definitely an act who keeps one eye on the past, whilst remaining up to date with his more urban vocal style. 

The overall album is a great, “Cool” album, remaining current without being obtrusive, stylish and sophisticated, José James knows how to pen a soulful groove, and how to keep them coming.

7/10

King Porter Stomp- The Shuffle

King Porter Stomp, an ever-expanding band from Brighton offer a seemingly ever-changing mixture of Ska, Dub and Hip-hop. Bringing a new look and interesting take on these genres, King Porter Stomp show here the sheer range of styles and grooves that they can use. From the Dance-y Ska number of the title track “The Shuffle”, to the sophisticated, laid back groove of “Let it all Out”, to the Latin-edged raver that is “The Last Bat Train to Cuba.”  

The opening number “The Shuffle” shows off a little bit of everything the whole album has to offer, mixing a heavy, funky beat with Ska-based horn lines and a rapid-fire, machine-gun lyrical style.  The track keeps building and dropping throughout, retaining interest and bringing the track to a point where it all has to break down to a heavily danceable groove.

This shows exactly how the rest of the album continues, complete with a barrage of funky riffs, dirty grooves, and an aware, relevant and critical lyrical style. The way in which the album is ordered shows awareness for the styles, offering a mix of upbeat anthems and chilled out tracks.

King Porter Stomp have only been growing in the last year, both in terms of band members and in audience size, and should only continue to do so. With regular packed out gigs and large festival performances which go from strength to strength, spreading the word of this brand of good time music to an international audience.

7/10

Smerins Anti-Social Club- Primordial Cordial

Whether it is upbeat instrumental Ska-based, highly danceable funk, or if it’s an arrangement of a famous TV Theme remade in a completely unexpected fashion, there’s seemingly nothing that this collective can seem not to be able to play.

This nine-piece group of instrumentalists take influences from wherever they can, collaborating with a wide range of underground vocalists from all across the South of England. The sheer range can be heard in the way that the main guest vocalists on the album are Nuala Honan, a soulful singer, who’s powerful vocal chords create an added melodic layer to the already complex melodies of the group as a whole, and Dizraeli who lends his culturally aware, critical, occasionally scathing and satirical style of underground rapping to a ska-based backing. Whichever any one person prefers is irrelevant, as both vocal styles, and any others in between, work incredibly well with the music. The plurality here can best be seen with the Swing-inspired track “The Alibi”, featuring Nuala, and Celebrate (A Vague Recollection of a Tw*t) which stars Dizraeli, both showing off the incredible talents of these two stand-out vocalists.

Other highlights include a Dub-Ska rendition of Doctor Who (Yes, the theme from the television show) which, featuring Tenor Fly, is a great, chilled out groove with a heavy beat which drives the whole track forward.

Not only is the music this band produces high energy stuff, but their shows also show the quality and enthusiasm that the band produces, packing out clubs with crowds of energetic, enthusiastic supporters dancing the night away.

8/10