The Masters Return, 2 Mar 2006

By	C. M. Perkins (Stirling, Scotland.) - See all my reviews

Several of the tracks make the rear view mirror in my car shake with the bass – which is always a good sign.

‘True Skool’, featuring Roots Manuva is already getting airplay and could be a single, especially because of the name recognition.

‘Just for the Kick’ cleverly uses a camera whirr as percussion and starts with a couple of trademark overdubs, reminiscent of early Coldcut electro.

‘Walk a Mile in my Shoes’ (Robert Owens vocals) is a nice track – a kind of ambient/deep house production.

‘Mr. Nichols’ is an interesting one – a spoken (American male) vocal sounds like a reading from a book, with someone trying to talk Mr. Nichols in from a window ledge, over a William Orbit-type backing track. The words are well written – I’d love to know the story behind them – and the music is great.

‘This Island Earth’ starts off sounding like it’s going to be a post-Yazz, plinky plonky piano house tribute, but then veers off to become a sweet soul vocal over something that could be a Roni Size track if the bpm were higher – very nice.

‘Colours the Soul’ is another one that reminds me of William Orbit’s ‘Water from a Vine Leaf’.

The album closes with ‘Sound Mirrors’ a classic Coldcut instrumental blend that sounds like it could be the closing score to a movie that would be a cross between The Matrix, Shopping and Young Americans – edgy, youthful and dramatic.

All in all, a great collection of musical styles that do all hang together nicely as an album.

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