This is the album Bonobo’s been threatening to make for a while, and it’s not even as if he’s made any bad ones yet. Clearly a lot of thought has gone in to the structure of Black Sands, which explains a last minute reordering of tracks. The instrumental tracks are beautifully orchestrated and the beats well placed, especially on the opening ‘Prelude’ and ‘Kiara’, where an evocative string line of Eastern origin suddenly blossoms into a full bodied, bass heavy monster. The closing title track has a strong sense of melancholy to begin with, but builds to an affirmative finish. In between we have the vocal discovery that is Andreya Triana, whose gorgeous tones decorate Stay The Same and other such gems. The main reason this album is a winner, though, is that it doesn’t disappear into indulgence at any point – even the fraught saxophone solos are perfectly judged. Bonobo’s best yet, without a doubt.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
