Dejusa: Buy the Numbers

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * *)

The debut album by this Auckland dub-jazz-plus outfit tries to show their largely organic approach to the world of rhythm and bass-driven grooves. That means a mix of funky torch tunes (Here Comes the Five O, the jazz guitar driven Eyes ), reggae-powered songs (3/33 Humanize), dub wobblers (Blowdub, Whales Trek), and dense, electronically enhanced jazz-funk with stream-of-consciousness MC-ing (Evac).

It's solidly played, pleasant enough stuff which can sound at times the missing link between Salmonella Dub and the Relaxomatic Project.

But there's an air of dabbling and hints of occasional directionless jamming to the 10 tracks which suggests this is the sound of a live outfit still finding their way - and the limits of their imagination - in the studio.

Label: Tardus