The cool and bouncy retro-soul vibe of this veteran British acid jazz ensemble isn't really retro at all -- it's just that the band has been doing it since the early '80s, when that sound was still a new thing. Despite its vast array of personnel changes over the course of eight previous albums,... [+] Expand

The cool and bouncy retro-soul vibe of this veteran British acid jazz ensemble isn't really retro at all -- it's just that the band has been doing it since the early '80s, when that sound was still a new thing. Despite its vast array of personnel changes over the course of eight previous albums, the band has stayed true to the original vision of frontman/guitarist Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, and that means, even post-millennium, a liberal mix of jazz, house, groovalicious funk, world beat, colorful female vocals, and -- most of the time -- snazzy horn sections. The band's Narada Jazz debut also includes spicy touches of soaring Brazilian energy (think whimsical, Sergio Mendes circa the mid-'60s), with guest vocalist Ed Motta singing both words and scat over punchy horns and a thumping disco beat. Gentle samba grooves infuse "Stone Cold Heart" and the feisty, Braz-funk gem "Cada Dia (Day By Day)" as well. Most of the other material is a bit less exotic, from the moody and romantic R&B-flavored lament "Can't Get You Out of My Head" to the thumping, wah-wah- and horn-inflected anthem "People at the Top," which has "Welcome to the '70s" written all over its infectious grooves. The trippiest track of the bunch is "Byrd Plays," which blends an odd nature soundscaping ambience, a distant horn, and subtle African percussion with hypnotic low register piano chords. Maunick is always seeking new collaborators mixed with former cohorts, and here has British troubadour Paul Weller and vocalists Kelli Sae, Joy Rose, and former group member Joy Malcolm. [The Japanese issue adds one bonus track: a remix of "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by the Brand New Heavies.] ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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