Album Notes

The highly anticipated follow-up to 2003's 'Roots' by UK soul sensations, Harambé.

This album sees founder member, bassist and producer Karl Clews joined by new cohorts Milt Mavrakakis on keys, Tony Pereyra on guitar, Andre St Clair Dyer on vocals and Timur Djahit on drums, and the new blood brings a fresh vitality to the performances - witness the bubbling urgency of Mavrakakis' hammond and clavinet, the injection of grit and fire courtesy of Pereyra's rock sensibilities, and the smooth sensuality of St Clair Dyer's layered vocals, all underpinned by Clews and Djahit's agile and infectious rhythm section.

And the songwriting has stepped up a gear on this album, too. This time round, the rhythms are as syncopated, the melodies as seductive and memorable as ever, but Clews' lyrics are more focussed and vitriolic, and tracks such as 'Demons' and 'Testify' see him taking on political targets. In spirit, this is an album that pays eloquent homage to the classic political soul albums of the 70s by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone and Curtis Mayfield, whilst displaying a modern sensibility in its use of modern production flourishes and tips of the hat to drum and bass.

This is nu classic soul. This is Harambe.