This was the third time I’d seen Frankie and the Witch Fingers in as many months (and the last time I’d see them in 2021), and they played a wild set in a small club that included some new, unreleased material.
I’m not sure how I hadn’t seen Danzig in concert until now, but he and his crew put on a good show. They played Lucifuge in its entirety and plenty of other tracks – including a long encore missed by at least half the crowd.
In the middle of the Psycho Music Festival, which is heavy on metal of all sorts, Claude Fontaine came onstage at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues and put on the most beautiful set of the entire festival. Backed by two percussionists and a guy on acoustic guitar, she performed gorgeous bossa nova and dub tracks for her first show ever in the Sin City. Shame on you if you missed it.\
Playing as the sun set and the moon rose, Death Valley Girls were a highlight of the “Psycho Swim” opening night of the 2021 Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas. Like pretty much everyone there, it was their first gig in nearly two years and their excitement was palpable.
#6: The Flaming Lips – Psycho Music Festival – August 21st
It’s always a joy to see The Flaming Lips, and hearing their uplifting songs and soaking up the energy from the loving crowd was just what we needed as we returned to live music and hope. This show will always have a special place in my heart, as it was the last time my late wife was able to see them. Their shows always boosted her spirit.
Who’s in the top five? You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to learn!
Today, Tuareg quintet Imarhan unveil “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)” off of their third studio album, Aboogi, out January 28th, 2022 on City Slang. Japonais, aka the late poet Mohamed Ag Itlale, was a pillar of the Tuareg community who passed away shortly after these recordings were made. The album was recorded in Aboogi Studio, the first professional recording studio in Tamanrasset, built by Imarhan themselves.
Bandleader Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, aka Sadam, said, “Japonais passing has left a big void in Tuareg music. It was enough to exist in the same precious time as his poetry and music but to have recorded with him at Aboogi Studio was so special. He was an exceptional artist and personality. He listened to everyone, never critical, encouraging younger generations because he felt change is important in music. When I met him by chance, it felt like magic. He knew about Imarhan and wanted us to sing his songs because he didn’t have the strength and trusted us to carry his music on. His progressive mind and positive energy will always be part of our community and in our hearts.” Listen to “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)”
Aboogi also features collaborations with Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, plus Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, solidifying Imarhan as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and societal change. Following Imarhan’s exhilarating 2018 album Temet, Aboogi is as serene and open as the desert it emerged from. The featherweight, festive music on Aboogi belies the band’s fierce sense of conviction and justice. These are the complexities that make Imarhan’s music so prescient – beauty and tranquility intermingle with strife and heartache, creating a dynamic view of life for those subjugated by over a century of colonialism and lopsided revolutions but blessed with extraordinary community, art and culture.
This new album is the first the band recorded on their native soil, and in a studio they built. It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space they created, as well as the historic resilience of their culture and people.
Next spring, Imarhan will embark on a European tour. Full dates are listed below, and US tour dates are forthcoming. Watch Imarhan’s Video for “Achinkad”
Imarhan Tour Dates Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 – Rennes, FR @ Théâtre L’Aire Libre Thu. Mar. 10, 2022 – Tourcoing, FR @ Grand Mix Sat. Mar. 12, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sun. Mar. 13, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Mon. Mar. 14, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room) Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange Thu. Mar. 17, 2022 – London, UK @ The Dome Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ De Centrale Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ AB-club Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Alice Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – Erfurt, DE @ Franz Mehlhose Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Gaité Lyrique Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 Club Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolobe Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Connexion Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas Tue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Clamores Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Braga, PT @ Teatro Circo Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Music Box Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala X Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Alicante, ES @ Alacant Mon. Apr. 11, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
Tuareg quintet Imarhan announce their third studio album, Aboogi, out January 28th, 2022 on City Slang, and today presents the lead single/video “Achinkad.” The diversity, beauty, and struggles of life in Imarhan’s home city of Tamanrasset in Southern Algeria are reflected in the songs on Aboogi, the first album the band recorded on their native soil in a studio they built themselves. It features Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, plus Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and the poet Mohamed Ag Itlale (also known as Japonais) from the Tamanrasset artistic community. Following the exhilarating Temet(2018, City Slang), this new album is as serene and open as the desert it emerged from.
Imarhan’s Aboogi Studio, named for the structures their nomadic forebears built when establishing settlements, is the first professional recording studio in their city, meant to serve the Saharan region’s community of musicians, many who’ve never had access to high-end recording gear before. It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space they had established, as well as the resilience of their culture and people. “Aboogi reflects the colors of Tamanrasset, what we experience in everyday life,” says bandleader Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, aka Sadam. “We give space to the wind and the natural energies, to the sun and the sand. We want to express their colors through music.” There is incredible warmth embedded in these steady, lilting rhythms and patiently strummed acoustic guitars, derived not just from the natural environment but from the community that surrounds them.
Imarhan’s musical world has always been expansive, based in the traditional sounds of the Tuareg people but fiercely individualistic and embracing of the many styles they encounter. On Aboogi they emerge as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and social change. This connection is sensed in today’s “Achinkad” video, which shows the band playing music around a fire and dancers shuffling throughout a desert.
Of the song, Sadam says, “It’s a tribute to our people and to our land. The Tuaregs have been present since ancient times and they are still here, present to their land, faithful to their people, grateful to their ancestors, to their culture, and fully, heavily attached to their nature. They travel through the times and they are always here with this land part of their identity.”
The songs on Aboogi are of-today, bridging the past, often referencing ancestral texts, and the future. They address many current issues affecting Imarhan’s community, from oppressive laws to great economic disparities. “You must be in solidarity with your people at all costs, until the end,” says Sadam. The featherweight, festive music on Aboogi belies its fierce sense of conviction and justice. These complexities are what make Imarhan’s music so prescient – beauty and tranquility intermingle with strife and heartache, creating a dynamic view of life for those subjugated by over a century of colonialism and lopsided revolutions but blessed with true community, art, and culture.
Imarhan’s confirmed tour dates in Europe are listed below. Tour dates are forthcoming for the United States. Pre-order Aboogi
Imarhan Tour Dates Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 – Rennes, FR @ Théâtre L’Aire Libre Thu. Mar. 10, 2022 – Tourcoing, FR @ Grand Mix Sat. Mar. 12, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sun. Mar. 13, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Mon. Mar. 14, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room) Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange Thu. Mar. 17, 2022 – London, UK @ The Dome Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ De Centrale Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ AB-club Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Alice Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – Erfurt, DE @ Franz Mehlhose Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Gaité Lyrique Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 Club Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolobe Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Connexion Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas Tue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Clamores Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Braga, PT @ Teatro Circo Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Music Box Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala X Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Alicante, ES @ Alacant Mon. Apr. 11, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
Falling in a delightful place between disco and Bollywood music, Rupa Biswas‘ often forgotten EP, Disco Jazz, is a fun record originally released in 1982 that unfortunately was released around the same time as Nazia Hassan‘s massive disco hit – “Aap Jaisa Koi.” As a result, Disco Jazz fell into obscurity until it was rediscovered by DJ sets a few years ago.
Thank heavens it was, because the EP is a blast. Teaming with a bunch of crackerjack Canadian studio musicians in Calgary, Rupa and her crew waste no time in getting you moving with “Moja Bhari Moja” – which translates to “Fun, great fun, fun.” Don Pope throws down a wicked solo while John Johnston matches him with one of the best disco bass licks you’ve heard since, well, 1982, Aashish Khan ups the ante on his sarod, and Robin Tupts‘ drum beat keeps the whole thing locked into a super groove.
“East West Shuffle” is an instrumental that has everyone grooving, especially Pranesh Khan on tablas. “Aaj Shanibar” is a bright track with Rupa doing acrobatic vocals alongside Aashish Khan’s sarod before Geoff Bell‘s synths take center stage for a shining solo. The closing track, “Ayee Morshume Be-Reham Duniya” showcases Rupa’s vocal talents (and a solo by Pope that seems effortless) even more and is a song about desiring to leave a world that suppresses love and joy to find one beyond it.
This EP is a treasure, and that it’s been unearthed after so many years is a blessing to music lovers around the world.
Keep your mind open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Uf1j3aJh0
[Hustle on over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
We’d originally planned to start the final day of the 2021 Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas at noon to see Warish, but they cancelled their performance before the festival started. So, we had nothing to do but lounge at the pool and spa after breakfast until we headed to the House of Blues venue to see Frankie andthe Witch Fingers for the first time. I’d been keen on seeing them, as their last album is outstanding, and clips I’ve seen of their shows looked wild.
They didn’t disappoint. They practically flattened the House of Blues in “their first show in about two thousand years.” A lot of people in the crowd seemed to not know who they were, but were ardent fans by the end. Later in the day, I overheard a guy talking about them to friends: “Frankie and the Witch Fingers! I walked in not knowing what to expect! Holy shit!” He was right. They put on one of the best sets of the entire weekend.
Franke and the Witch Fingers casting Audible Glammer.
We had time for lunch and then headed to the beach stage to see Dengue Fever – a band we’d both wanted to see for a while. They play a neat version of Cambodian funk and disco and had a lot of the crowd dancing in the sand and the wave pool. Their saxophonist is top-notch as well.
Dengue Fever getting their funk on.
We headed back inside to catch to the Rock & Rhythm Lounge, where Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears got on stage to bring some funky soul. Lewis is a sharp guitar player, and the crowd quickly picked up on what he was putting down.
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears piling on even more funk.
My wife was exhausted by this point, so she went back to the hotel room while I returned to the beach to see Osees pound out one of the loudest sets I’ve seen them play. Part of the volume could’ve been from their usual power bouncing off the water of the beach and up at everyone standing on the beach, and part of it could be from them playing in front of a live audience again after so long. It was a wild set, with people in the pool kicking and splashing water everywhere and the security guards being somewhat dumbfounded by what was happening. Drummer Paul Quattrone was especially on-point during the whole set.
Osees bowling us over with the power of rock.
I also managed to catch some partial sets from Howling Giant, Sasquatch, Mothership, and Black Sabbitch during the festival – all of whom had large, happy crowds in front of them.
The entire festival had a happy vibe to it. Everyone was happy to be seeing live music again and partying with friends again.
Plus, it was nice to lounge at an outdoor pool for a while.
Tickets for the 2022 festival are already on sale, and they’ve announced some of the bands already confirmed, including metal giants like MercyfulFate, Emperor, and Boris, as well as prog-metal heavyweights Year of No Light.
Legendary South Sudanese pop star Gordon Koang releases a new track, “Disco,” off of his forthcoming Coronavirus / Disco 12”, out today via Music in Exile. “Disco” follows the recently released “Coronavirus,” but the new single was actually written by Koang in 1997.
Although it’s been a highlight in his live performances, this is the first time “Disco” has been recorded and made available for his audience to dance to at home. Written as a love song, “Disco” shares his trademark messages of peace and unity, dance floor style. Beginning with fast and almost rap-like vocal delivery in his native tongue, Nuer, the energy is high from the very start. With pulsating bass lines and interweaving instrumental melodies, the band is almost mesmerizing and urging in their accompaniment. When asked what he wants listeners to feel when hearing this song, he says “I need them to be happy, to listen to the song, to know that they will get advice from this song, to feel it in their heart, when they listen to music they will be comfortable, be happy!”
The Coronavirus / Disco 12” is his first offering since 2020’s “idiosyncratically joyous” (Bandcamp) Unity. After two weeks in hotel quarantine (following a visit to his family), Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.
The “Coronavirus / Disco 12” will feature a pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time.
Legendary South Sudanese pop star Gordon Koang announces his Coronavirus / Disco 12”, out August 4th via Music in Exile. This double-A-side release shares Gordon’s messages of peace, love and positivity, and is his first offering since 2020’s “idiosyncratically joyous” (Bandcamp) Unity. “Coronavirus” was penned by Koang in July 2020 as a response to his personal experiences of the global pandemic. As his hometown of Melbourne went into lockdown, Gordon resided in the city’s outer suburbs with his cousin, Paul Biel, and his four-stringed, guitar-like instrument, the thom. Throughout this single, Gordon offers his condolences to those affected by the pandemic, alongside messages of his faith in frontline workers and the hope that circumstances will improve soon. “People suffer a lot. I ask that God gives the doctors the big wisdom to defeat the coronavirus. When people hear my song, I hope that this music counsels them. The song has a lot of meaning, it is telling them to be hopeful.”
With the cancellation of a national tour and numerous festival appearances, Covid-19 had not only impacted Gordon’s career here in Australia, but also his opportunity to visit family he hadn’t seen in five years. After receiving Australian permanent residency, Gordon and Paul were now able to visit family in Uganda, however this was made incredibly difficult due to border closures and the potential health risks. Taking a last minute opportunity, Gordon and Paul travelled to Africa and whilst excited to visit their families, they also experienced the impact of the pandemic on their home communities. “In Africa, it is not like us here, there is no medicine and in Africa there is also no Centrelink if you are in lockdown. It is difficult getting services. Even getting food is difficult.”
After two weeks in hotel quarantine, Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.
The Coronavirus / Disco 12” will feature a pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time:
“My condolences to you, my audience in lockdown. We are all suffering from coronavirus. Let us stand firm and be strong. Let us look after each other, until the time comes when God brings us together. I give my condolences to people who have died of coronavirus, in aged care and disability. We are heartbroken for everyone. Let us take it easy, and pray in our houses, all around the world. If you believe in God, pray to the God you believe in, and they will help you. God will give us the chance to go back to normal and open all events. Even if it is a bad time now, there will be a change and it will be a good time for us. Thank you to everyone.” – Gordon Koang
Japanese quartet CHAI present a new single/video, “PING PONG!,” from their forthcoming album, WINK, out May 21st on Sub Pop. The track is a laser beam ode to a social activity that CHAI love but cannot currently partake in. In Japan, CHAI would often play ping pong after visits to the public hot springs, called onsen. “PING PONG!” also features YMCK, who brought a gaming feel to the production, which CHAI wanted to match.“
CHAI elaborate: “We’re channeling our inner playful selves, challenging ourselves to fun, and bringing you that nostalgic-feel with this song! There’s just something about old video games that’s super cute, a little tacky, yet at the same time fancy. Something that you think is “old-school” but at the same time super refreshing. YMCK collaborated with us on this and created the ultimate 8bit World of CHAI!”
“The theme for PING PONG is exactly as is, ‘ping pong.’ In Japanese culture, there’s this routine where Hot Springs or ‘onsen’ and playing PING PONG go hand in hand. When the four of us hit the hot springs, we always wear a Yukata (unlined Summer kimono), drink a cup of milk, and go right into some PING PONG! It’s very Japanese, something we don’t think exists overseas and that’s exactly what we want to share! You can hear it in the lyrics and you can feel it in the music video!”
YMCK adds: “It was our first time creating something from start to finish remotely but everything turned out amazing with each member’s character shining through! Don’t miss this ever-so free and forever dancing world of CHAI! “ WATCH CHAI’S VIDEO FOR “PING PONG!”
CHAI is MANA (lead vocals and keys) and KANA (guitar), drummer YUNA, and bassist-lyricist YUUKI. Following the release of 2019’s PUNK, CHAI’s adventures took them around the world, playing their high-energy and buoyant shows. They took quarantine as an opportunity to shake up their process and bring their music somewhere thrillingly new. Rather than having maximalist recordings like in the past, CHAI instead focused on crafting the slightly-subtler and more introspective kinds of songs they enjoy listening to at home—where, for the first time, they recorded all of the music. WINK is also the first CHAI album to feature contributions from outside producers (Mndsgn, YMCK) as well as Ric Wilson. They draw R&B and hip-hop into their mix (Mac Miller, the Internet, and Brockhampton were on their minds) of dance-punk and pop-rock, all while remaining undeniably CHAI. WATCH THE “NOBODY KNOWS WE’RE FUN” VIDEO
Rodrigo Amarante is thrilled to announce his new album, Drama, out July 16th on Polyvinyl. Drama is the long-awaited follow-up to Amarante’s acclaimed 2014 debut, Cavalo – also being reissued by Polyvinyl, a stunning and intimate collection of songs where “every instrument breathes and every sound blends, yet every moment is distinct” (NPR Music). In conjunction with today’s announcement, Amarante unveils Drama’s lead single, “Maré,” and it’s accompanying self-directed video. An upbeat, seemingly happy song with less jolly aspects hidden beneath the surface, “Maré” is based on Spanish proverb: the tide will fetch what the ebb brings. “Things that arrive in your hand by destiny, they are just as easily swept away,” explains Amarante.
About the video, Amarante explains: “This song is about how we shape our destiny and character by what we crave, wish, dream about, despite the outcome. The video is not. That is deliberate. The video is about writing the song, or any song, not about the song itself. It is a representation of writing it, a look on the work that is to produce the magic that is writing, this way looping back to what shapes my own destiny, my wishes and cravings, what the song talks about. I say magic because there is an unpredictable element in writing, yet it is a mental activity: there lies drama.”
You may have heard “Tuyo,” Amarante’s theme tune to the Netflix drama Narcos, or the LittleJoy album. You might have noted Amarante’s name among the credits on songs by GalCosta, NorahJones and GilbertoGil; or perhaps you saw him play live with Brazilian samba big band OrquestraImperial, or with Rio rockers LosHermanos. You may think you know Rodrigo Amarante already, but Drama, his second solo album, is going to introduce a whole new level of confusion to the mix.
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1976, Amarante points to two incidents in his past that fed directly into the recordings: a childhood illness that makes him appreciate the beauty of the second chance; and the moment when his father (with Amarante’s begrudging consent) cut off his long hair, an attempt to unburden all the drama and sensitivity from the young man’s head. “Dressing up as means to reveal, rather than dressing down, to conceal, that is Drama” says Amarante. “A tool. Tickling memory into confession, seeing through the eye holes of a mask. Peeking into the mirror that is playing a part. This is not something I followed but a posthumous realization, something that followed me, as it often happens. These songs were the instruments to realize it, not the other way around.”
Drama began life at the end of 2018 with a session involving Rodrigo’s regular band – “Lucky” Paul Taylor on drums, bassist Todd Dahlhoff, Andres Renteria on congas, and Amarante on guitar. With writing and recording continuing through 2019, some songs were pulled out from the back of drawers, and more ideas came anew. In early 2020, with the album not quite ready, lockdown hit Los Angeles and Amarante found himself alone, adding overdubs and mixing the completed tracks with Noah Georgeson, though the two were never in the same room. Unsurprisingly, isolation dictated the sound of the album. “Lockdown and limitation have produced some great ideas. I started the album wanting to focus on rhythm and melody, to abandon those rich chord progressions and modulations I’ve inherited from Brazil and be more straight for a bit. As I wrote I realized that there was a trigger to me in that attempt, a shadow of the shaved-head boy I had to be, sucking it up. Instead, I embraced the complications I’ve inherited.”
Drama closes with piano and Amarante’s voice on the closing track: “To live is to fall.” After all the emotional upheavals the singer has put his cast through, is this some kind of farewell to this mortal coil? “Everything furthers,” says Amarante. “Whispering. You get louder like that, people respond better to an invitation,” and adds: “Staring at the absurd while remaining kind, being open to the gifts of confusion; that’s why we create these tools that are stories and songs, to help us see each other.”
Dreamy, sexy, danceable, and, yes, fun, Brijean‘s new album, Feelings, will give you plenty of feels – all of them good.
“Day dreaming about you. I’m falling, it’s true (for you),” Ms. Brijean sings on the opening track – “Day Dreaming,” a lovely electro-pop track that blends dance percussion and Bossa nova vocals. “Softened Thoughts” mixes video game sounds and thick bass to create a somewhat trippy effect. “Pepe” is a short and sweet track full of bright bells and bubbly synths.
“Wifi Beach” is an instant house music classic with cool retro synths and hot percussion. The title track is full of electro-bubbles that tickle your whole body. “Ocean” takes us to a tropical jazz lounge where the local DJ is playing stuff he found at a 1960’s Bossa nova record mogul’s estate sale. “Paradise” adds some groovy psychedelia to Feelings, and it’s a welcome addition to the album’s color palate.
“Lathered in Gold” is not only a lush, exotic track, but it’s also a good way to describe Brijean‘s sound. Everything has an exotic feel to it, and this song sounds like it emanates from a Tiki bar in Brazilian spy movie set in 1962. “Chester” is another short but sweet bridge between songs and leads into “Hey Boy,” which is going to be a massive hit at dance clubs once they’re open again (hopefully) this summer. The album closes with the thumping and bumping (and humping?) “Moody” – a flirtatious, groovy track that sends us off with a nice afterglow.
This will easily be one of the best make-out albums of 2021, let alone one of the best dance records and lounge records. It works on all levels.
