The marriage of Coldcut and Adrian Sherwood makes absolute sense, and the only regret over this superb album is that it wasn’t made sooner. Sherwood’s sonic explorations, mostly within the area of dub but covering a wide stylistic area, suit Matt Black and Jon More’s songwriting and urban awareness right down to the ground. Equally important is the fact that Sherwood’s own collaborators Doug Wimbish and Skip McDonald are present, ensuring the rhythms and hooks are as persuasive as they can possibly be. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Junior Reid, Roots Manuva and Rholin X all star, while even the ‘straighter’ tracks like ‘Metro’ are brilliantly done. ‘Kajra Mohobbat Wala’, featuring Hamsika Iyer, and ‘Robbery’, with Rholin X, are two of the standouts – but in reality this is a modern document of colour and vibrant rhythm that feels like a celebration of life and music itself. A brilliant summer album too!
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
