In April last year I wandered along to Anthology Lounge to review the winners of the recent Battle of the Bands competition and came away mightily impressed as it felt like I had stepped back in time with a 9-piece soul band with arrangements designed to keep the vocals of Manuela Herrera front and centre while allowing everyone the room to move. Listening to their latest single I am immediately transported back as this is music which belongs in an intimate setting where one can relax. The production is warm and clear, allowing all the instruments to be easily heard, and even though this is a band who have their own brass section it always feels there is plenty of space within, inviting the listener inside the notes, to sit and rest and while, to luxuriate in the setting which is warm velvet and comforting.
It starts with some lovely, picked guitar from Joseph which sets the scene as it trickles down the neck, and the arrangement builds with some lovely keyboards and then Manuela comes in to lift it to the next level. When the brass arrives it is the icing on the cake, as we just sit and smile, with those soothing vocals (even if the lyrics are harsher) being allowed to take centre stage while never reducing the impact of the musicians. For such a large band, the music has a real sense of freedom, with everyone having their time and space, and the ending feels quite jarring in that it awakens us from the spell. The only thing to do is dive straight back in.
Rating: 8/10
