Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Review
I can't say this electro-cum-nu-soul mishmash was really on my radar beforehand, save for a whiff of approval from Gilles Peterson for an early single. But I have since learned that the collective is based in Leeds, and came together partly in response to an Arts Council commission for a live dubstep work to be staged in Yorkminster Cathedral. Only happen in Britain, right?
At the core of the group is noted producer/DJ Ruckspin and drummer Tommy Evans of Gentleman's Dub Club. The supporting cast includes experimental jazz trumpeter Simon Beddoe, likeminded keyboardist Taz Modi (of Monkey See Monkey Do), salsa-fied percussionist Danny Templeman (who has worked with both Macy Gray and Andre Tanker), and London-based bassist Chris 'Fatty' Hargreaves. And the icing on the cake takes the form of vocalist Ruby Wood, whose sweet jazz and soul tones inject an aspect of melodic moodiness, despite often sounding at odds with the backing material.
Finest Hour has been cut in magnum opus mode, so there is no real break between tracks, giving the work a seamless quality, even as it drifts between genres. Broody opener Angel Eyes begins with full orchestration before dropping down to drum'n'bass basics; Back Chat starts out sounding like Richard Clayderman attacking Nadia's Theme, until raspy bass warbles soon remind that we are heading for the dubstep zone. Always has a pick'n'mix feel, and Hymn for Him has down-tempo minimalism; All Yours could be Sade gone acid, while Pop and Lock and Secrets merge skewered jazz and broken d'n'b to fine effect. And even if songs like Suffer Not and Finest Hour seem unnecessarily sentimental, the dub-wise element of each lends a sensation of infiniteness. By the time we reach the closing Perfection, the journey has been a quietly bewildering one, becoming only marginally more familiar on another spin.
Though I have not had the pleasure of seeing them perform yet, the unit are said to be able to skilfully replicate the experience live. If you have even a passing interest in dubstep or avant-garde jazz, this intriguing debut suggests the group as one to keep an eye on.
--David Katz
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
I love the ideas behind this album - and in some place the fusion of genres works very well but in total the album doesn't do it for me.
There are some highlights - Ruby Wood's voice for a start, and Hymn for Him is a great track, as is Backchat (although at times the piano part reminds me a little too much of Massive Attack's Weather Storm). But if I listen to the album all the way through I just start getting bored, which isn't what I want.
It's obvious that this album is quite polarising - some love it, others really don't take to it, so at the very least ensure that you listen to the album on their website before you purchase to avoid disappointment.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
