DETROIT SWINDLE – HIGH LIFE – HEIST RECORDINGS

 
The second studio album from Dutch duo Detroit Swindle is laden with guests, but has enough identity to mark them out as a pretty classy act. It helps that much of the material is live, and also that the songs are really well written, so that even the most obviously pool or bar-based material still has a good deal of substance in it. The guests are well chosen, including a smoky turn from Seven Davis Jr. on ‘Flavourism’ and an excellent track with Tom Misch, ‘Yes, No, Maybe’ arguably the pick of the album. Each of the ten tracks has plenty of time to introduce itself, with most of them given a 12”-type seven minutes or so, meaning that opening track ‘Ketama Gold’ and the later, funkier, ‘Cut U Loose’ get time to cast their spell. A few tracks dispense with beats altogether, enjoying the freedom that runs through this well planned and produced album. Bar music it might be, but there is plenty of depth and class to it for the passive or close listener.
 
4 out of 5