THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS: Be Yourself

The New Mastersounds

Be Yourself

© 2003 One Note Records (854057001011)

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Fat and funky grooves interspersed with mellow soulful jazz.

tracks

1 This Ain't Work
2 Your Love is Mine (feat. Corinne Bailey Rae on guest vocals)
3 Can't Hold Me Down
4 Be Yourself
5 Better Off Dead
6 You've Had it All
7 Barça
8 Six Underground
9 Coming Up Roses
10 Coming Down
11 R.T.A.
12 Do What You Gotta Do
13 Idle Time, feat. guest vocalist LSK
14 This Ain't Work part 2

notes

UK funk foursome The New Mastersounds have been together since 1999, but came to the USA for the first time in May 2004, when they opened for the Greyboy All Stars at the House of Blues in Chicago. Since then they have performed in LA, SFO, and at the High Sierra Music Festival in CA. In September NMS hit Colorado where they opened for Karl Denson at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre in Fort Collins before going on to play at Jazz Aspen. NMS are due to return to the USA in Nov/Dec 2005 to play Chicago, San Francisco and various dates up the West Coast on the way to Vancouver. Be Yourself is their second album and was first released in the UK in 2003.

Press Reviews of Be Yourself:

'As funky as it is rare and as honed as it is raw. 'Be Yourself' could be filed under Brand New Heavies, Corduroy and various early 90s Acid Jazzadelica without even slightly sticking out like a sore, throbbing thumb. The thing is, NMS do it for the love of it. Sleazily easing in with the simple funk of 'This Ain't Work', the almost angelic sounds of Corrine Bailey Rae take 'Your Love Is Mine' up and on to whole new levels of thought.' (DJ Magazine Review Nov 03)

'The New Mastersounds return with another funk album of classic proportion. Be Yourself sounds like it could have been recorded live, with its no-messing, just-let-the-music-speak-for-itself production (as it would've been in the '70s). The songs have a refreshing quality that don't tend to focus on one theme throughout and cover a multitude of tempos and styles including jazz, funk and soul. Whether it be the crisp, rolling drums or the intricate guitar work - and not forgetting the Booker-T style Hammond organ - it's extremely difficult to pin-point a standout instrument or musician. With that in mind one has to conclude that it's ALL GOOD. And with the father of funk, Keb Darge very much behind NMS it won't be long before they're seen up there with the likes of Grant Green and the Meters.' (Undercover Magazine UK Nov 03 Review)

'With their most recent offering - Leeds band The New Mastersounds have expanded upon their established pure funk template to include a subtler spectrum of textures, drawing upon a more relaxed jazz and soul approach to augment their usual blistering up-tempo attack. The opener 'This Ain't Work' is classic Mastersounds but is then followed by the breezy, soulful 'Your Love Is Mine' which features the vocals of the sublime-sounding Corinne Bailey Rae. Her approach is reminiscent of Minnie Riperton's soul jazz sound of the early 1970's. This gentle, melodic piece provides a brief breathing space as it is followed by 'Cant Hold Me Down' - a track that punches into the mighty southern funk territory of The Meters. 1960's groovy psychedelia is evoked on 'Better Off Dead' - as guitarist Eddie Roberts's jangling sitar lines float across the top of the rhythm section - and prompts recollections of Mather's 'Indian Vibes' to permeate the entire proceedings. Roberts also gets his jazz chops out on this collection too, reminding everyone here that whacking out serious funk isn't the only thing he does tastefully well.
The feel of this collection is not as utterly retro as might be expected, and although even jazz boogaloo rears its head on 'Coming Up Roses', it is beautifully counterbalanced by the folky atmosphere of 'Barça' which evokes the sounds of Ben Sidran and other practitioners of that but great but short-lived jazz/folk crossover genre.
This recording allows keysman Bob Birch to stretch out on acoustic and electric piano, & synthesizer, not just that ubiquitous funk work horse - the Hammond Organ. The general intention on 'Be Yourself' appears to put a little daylight between the band and the full-on deep funk scene of recent years. The New Mastersounds are being themselves and have shown much more creativity on their latest recording. In terms of sounds and songwriting, the group display a rootsy but progressive approach that should ensure that they and their audience stay challenged, refreshed & interested.' (BBCi Blues Soul & Reggae Review)

reviews

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  • Scenic splendor and the dreaded sugar high!
    author: Reggie Pucker from the State Penn

    I should have have realized that egg plants and bubble gum gelato make for a lousy blender drink. This group left me all tuckered out due to some of their repetitive jams. They(The New Mastersounds) have game solos and stallward drumming throughout. They seem to suffer from a lack of production versatility and differentiation of songs herein. It's not the writing quality...because these cats are provocative! The guitarist is spectacular and works magic when he locks in with their organist. The bassist is plenty phat for the record. Collectively though, they really need a horn player on a few more cuts. A good sophmore cd guys!!

  • Wack A Doo!! Chong recommends!!
    author: S.G. Chong: from cheap hotel in Tacoma, Washington USA

    This old jerk confesses to the brilliance of the New Master Sounds. Yep,they hail from the UK and they can sure light a fire under a dance floor or even the kitchen wok, for that matter. You decide which and where is applicable cous. I can rev up my roomies easily after they return from their studies. You can't beat the sweet grooves and chops that these British fellas bring to the job site! Their drummer is one of the best that Chong has ever heard. I missed them when they came to Seattle and Bellingham Was in late 2005. That was Chong's loss. It don't have to be yours junior!

  • A more mature New Mastersounds
    author: Kurt in Pennsylvania

    While I cannot hope to match the insighful clarity offered up by another reviewer, I can say that Be Yourself is a more introspective effort in comparison to the historically frenetic output from this organization. That's not to say that there is less to like here........there are some major-league deep grooves put down in this outing. Call it the "thinking person's" acid jazz/funk/soul/retro rock collective. Call it what you will, but there is a maturity of execution here that bears up well under repeated listening. You will be going back to this one often, and that is the true test of greatness in music. Highly recommended!

  • A mother lode of soul jazzid ass Funkifacations
    author: Douge Deep

    This ain't no trick bag, it struts like cissy, jungle man, that's what da people say.

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