Out of all the reviews I have done so far this has got to be one of the toughest to define. Red Snapper calls their music "fuck-off jazz". I think this is a little too broad. They fall into quite a few categories. They seem to me to be a little acid jazz, a little trip-hop, and a little drum and base. What distinguisges Red Snapper from the other "electronica" groups from the London scene is they actually all play instruments. The band consists of Richard Thair (drums), Ali Friend (doublebass), David Ayers (guitar) and Byron Wallen (trumpet). Various MC's lend a hand to the vocals.
Each song draws a bit from all the genres, some more than others. After listening to the cd a couple times one of the standouts for me is "Spittlefields", although it is one of the few songs without vocals. It is a really groovy blend of jazz and trip-hop which work suprisingly well together. I never would have believed it. Another standout song is "Suckerpunch". This one is a bit more upbeat and is a little harder to define. The songs range from fast an upbeat to slow and really moody that make you feel like your in some small dark smokey club listening to a live band.
All said I think this is an excellent cd. Although Red Snapper has been compared to everyone from Portishead to Massive Attack they are that and a whole lot more. They blend alot of cool genres together into something that I thought couldn't have been done. From what I could find out about the band this is their second release with a few singles and compilations also to their credit. The first album had no vocals. Although all the songs on "Making Bones" do not have vocals probably about 1/3 do.
If your willing to give something new and a litle different a try this ones for you. If you aren't into any of the genres I mentioned you probably won't like this cd very much.
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