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Same As It Never Was is The Herbaliser’s sixth LP and it’s out now on !K7.
As I mentioned the other week, this is somewhat new territory for The Herbaliser. Incorporating extra members on a more permanent basis with a focus on finding a more organic sound than before. I’m sure, like me, you’ve seen The Herbaliser travel through the various elements of hip-hop, turntablism and electronica, and although these stylings can be heard throughout Same As It Never Was, there has been a definite shift… as promised really.
What we have here is an LP spanning twelve tracks of pure dynamite. Don’t be alarmed, at times it will sound very different to what you’ve come to expect from the guys, but that is exactly the point: Same As It Never Was.
01. Same As It Never Was
02. On Your Knees (feat Jessica Darling)
03. Just Won’t Stop (feat Yungun Aka Essa)
04. The Next Spot
05. Can’t Help This Feeling (feat Jessica Darling)
06. Amores Bongo
07. Street Karma (A Cautionary Tale) (feat Jean Grae)
08. You’re Not all That (feat Jessica Darling)
09. Blackwater Drive
10. Game Set &Match (feat More or Les)
11. Clap Your Hands (feat Jessica Darling)
12. Stranded on Earth (feat Jessica Darling)
The horn driven intro track of the same name, Same As It Never Was, contains elements of turntablism and features emcee samples. It’s a perfect appetizer for what lies ahead. Live instrumentation coupled with exquisite vocals, whilst keeping the hip-hop foundations that were shaped and formed over many years.
Vocalist Jessica Darling features throughout and lends her strong, yet gritty, skills to no fewer than five tracks on the album. Jessica is the perfect compliment to this new found sound - a sort of musing between big beats and funk in a typically Herbaliser fashion. I think it is important for artists to branch out and grow, discovering new avenues and sounds, but it is also key to ensure that your newer creations keep elements of what has served so well in the past. For me The Herbaliser have done just that. This is totally different to Take London, or pretty much any of the previous albums, but you can still hear that it’s The Herbaliser, not mistaking that.
Same As It Never Was doesn’t abandon pure hip-hop by any means. Just Won’t Stop features UK hip-hop emcee Yungun. A bouncing track featuring a cultural narrative from the aforementioned lyricist. Also, long time collaborator and female emcee extraordinaire, Jean Grae is back once more on the track Street Karma (A Cautionary Tale) - the guys did well to get her on board considering all the rumours circulating about Jean’s supposed retirement. Anyway she delivers as strong as ever on this track. Another emcee on Same As It Never Was is the American rapper More Or Les. He commented on Jus’ Like Music when I initially mentioned the imminent release of this album and man does he have skills!
There are some killer tracks on this album, like Can’t Help This Feeling - an absolute banger of a funk-hop track featuring Jessica Darling. You’ll recognise the lyrics for sure - but once that chorus kicks in… wow… gives me goose bumps. Stranded On Earth is also an amazing track - absolutely beautiful and serves as an outro to the album, yet again laced by the wonderful talents of Jessica Darling, it lies somewhere between The Cinematic Orchestra and Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - just magic.
The album seems to evenly space the tracks by their specific styles. So that the vocal funk tracks are separated by instrumental and hip-hop tracks - This works well as there is a consistent, unique, element throughout. Would be easy to miss the target with such a tactic, but with strong material and tight production, I doubt there was ever a concern that this wouldn’t work.
For some, Same As It Never Was, may not immediately hit the target, especially if you have preconceptions of a typical Herbaliser album. However I do genuinely believe that the tide is changing and people are, generally, more accepting and willing to keep an open mind when hearing new music today. The ‘growers’ often turn out to be the best LPs in the long run anyway. I shudder to think what my life may have been like if I’d only listened to certain albums just the once and then abandoned them. Personally, I have quite eclectic tastes anyway, and although I was slightly surprised by the change in direction for The Herbaliser, it was a very pleasant surprise. With an open mind anything is possible. Great work guys.
Review originally posted (with sample track) at >>jus' like music.
That’s right people, it is the return of Black Grass! Mex is back with his third album on Catskills, funnily enough titled… Three.
Out now on Catskills, Three is a tight and eclectic blend of sounds, ranging through broken beat to hip-hop to funk to latin and back again. The album features guests such as; J-Live, Dionne Charles (from Baby Charles) and Koaste. You’ll no doubt be delighted to know that Three is an early candidate as one of the albums of 2008 - what we have here is a collection of 13 tracks spanning multiple genres and styles, whilst maintaining a consistent vibe with a typical Black Grass feel. The hip-hop stylings are present and combine seamlessly with the apparent influences that make Black Grass the class act we’ve all come to expect.
The track Bass Man is the lead single from Three. The ragga beat and soulful groove will get those dancing feet moving for sure. Bass Man features vocals from Benjammin’ and I’m certain you’ll be hearing this across dance floors all summer long. It is out now on 12″, CDS and Digital Download - the b-side features the track Set It Straight feat. J-Live. Grab it now from the Catskills eShop.
Back to Three, here’s the tracklisting:
1. Alright 2. Without Your Love (feat. Dionne Charles) 3. Set It Straight (feat. J-Live) 4. Bass Man (feat. Benjammin’) 5. Splash The Cash (feat. Koaste) 6. Makin’ Emcees Run (feat. Aaron Phiri) 7. How Much Can You Take? (feat. Dionne Charles) 8. Quetzalcoatl Returns (feat. A Key and Cissy) 9. Hold Fire (feat. Dionne Charles) 10. This & That (feat. The Good People) 11. Bless (feat. Ruben Da Silva) 12. Stormy Weathers (feat. Jah Marnyah) 13. Away (feat. Rider Shafique)
Alright is a laid back summery hip-hop track that in a way reminded me of some classic Grand Central material, ala Aim, Rae & Christian or Fingathing. Then it’s straight into Without Your Love, a latin laden disco style breaks track. But then comes Dionne Charles’ rich vocals and they really take the track to the next level - the combination of Dionne’s soulful solace and the funky groove of Mex’s beats simultaneously remind me of a classic sound, whilst delivering a fresh aural experience. It’s tight.
J-Live features on the track Set It Straight, a hip-hop track with a very catchy guitar riff. Steadily flowing under said riff is a strong, yet steady, bassline, oh and of course a thumping beat. And J-Live? Need you ask? Sharp lyrics with a smooth flow, J-Live is on top of his game on this one.
Bass Man is the previously mentioned lead single from Three. Encompassing dub and ska elements, Mex enlisted the vocal skills of Benjammin’, and he provides a ridiculously soulful cypher. This is an uplifting and energetic tune that will storm dancefloors like armed police on a drug raid. Make sure you cop that 12!
My good man Koaste lends his talent on Splash The Cash. Koaste lays down some of the sharpest and most witty lines you’re likely to hear come out of the UK this year. Catch him touring with the Black Grass live show. Next up is Makin’ Emcees Run featuring Aaron Phiri, another talented emcee. This is one catchy uptempo hip-hop track, another one for the dancefloor surely.
Dionne Charles returns on How Much Can You Take? Currently one of my favourite tracks from the album. I’m a sucker for funk and I’m a huge Baby Charles fan anyway. Dionne’s voice is both raw and sweet and fits perfectly with the funky break Mex has created, this is a tight track with a strong focus on rhythm, organ and horns - perfect. Quetzalcoatl Returns is an hispanic sounding downtempo breaks track. It’s quite cinematic in its execution and displays essences of such contemporaries as Wax Tailor, Aim and perhaps even Quantic to an extent. It’s beautiful, with its exquisite strings and Saharan sounds - multiple influences and inspirations spliced to create a strong instrumental composition.
Hold Fire sees Dionne Charles’ third and final appearance on Three. A soulful, steady funk track with a killer bassline. The combination of Dionne’s hook and the ultra catchy horn stabs makes for an addictive chorus in what is yet another laid back dancefloor filler for Black Grass. Straight after is This & That featuring The Good People, an American hip-hop outfit hitting just as hard as the other cypheric masters heard thus far. Keeping with the laid back jazzy breaks hip-hop style, it goes down as easy as a cold beverage on a hot summers’ day.
The tail end of Three begins with a melodic Balearic beauty in the form of Bless featuring Ruben Da Silva. With slight carnival tones and sugar sweet vocals, this is definitely one to chill to. But don’t get too comfortable, the penultimate track is the ragga tune Stormy Weathers featuring Jah Marnyah. Dutty reggae verses accompanied by a slick reggae chorus laid smack bang on top of a monster beat. The final track is Away, a dubbed out hip-hop track featuring Rider Shafique. This Rider Shafique dude lies somewhere between Roots Manuva and Jahmali - his delivery is both distinct and concise, smooth and sharp. The blend of guitar stabs and eerie organs over a steady beat give a perfect outro scenario of the chilled persuasion.
I mentioned at the start of this review that Three was an eclectic blend of sounds, but ultimately what is apparent, after giving Three a good listening to, is the stylistic consistency that it presents. It is one thing to attempt to appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners and to feature multiple guests, but another to stamp your creation with a unique watermark. Despite the efforts of those that came before Black Grass with the aim of reaching a larger audience, not many have actually hit the target with such accuracy. Three commands the listener blissfully through 51 minutes of laid back hip-hop’esque sounds with some of the tightest production you are likely to hear this year. A few listens of Three will turn your summer up to 11, because this one goes up to 11, it’s got 1 more.
Upcoming live dates:
Jun 5 2008 - Oxford Arts Factory - Sydney, New South Wales Jun 7 2008 - We Love Sounds Festival - Melbourne, Victoria Jun 8 2008 - We Love Sounds Festival - Sydney, New South Wales Jun 9 2008 - We Love Sounds Festival - Brisbane, Queensland Jul 4 2008 - Boarding Pass Festival - Greece Jul 10 2008 - Powder Rooms - Barcelona, Spain Aug 3 2008 - The Ivy - Glasgow, Scotland Aug 23 2008 - Beachdown Festival - Brighton, London and South East Aug 31 2008 - Jersey Live Music Festival - Jersey, Channel Islands
Review originally posted (with sample track) at >>jus' like music.
