The debut album from this Auckland three-piece blends the reggae chill-factor of Katchafire, with the spacier, darker electronic dub of Kora, or Electric Wire Hustle, and the vocal style and sunny horns of early Fat Freddy's. They're like a Pacific melting pot of urban funk, future soul and rootsy rock, with their arsenal of analogue synths, MPC drums, and fuzz guitar. The only problem is their diversity also leads to a lack of focus on some tracks, and makes them come off a little half-hearted, or occasionally the blend of sounds (e.g. lovely soul harmonies mixed with overdriven bass) feels aurally overwhelming. Pressures of Life, featuring Nat Rose, is a highlight, as are the smooth horn contributions of Isaac Aesili, and there are some great components on each track; they're just not quite fitting together perfectly yet.
Stars: 3/5
-TimeOut
