by Fat Freddy's Drop
Fat Freddy’s Drop are the masters of the slow groove. Their preference for long tracks gives them ample room to slowly build up their multi-layered songs and bring them to a bone-shakingly funky climax. The new album ‘Blackbird’ features several tracks built on exactly this formula. The album’s opening title track sets the tone. It’s a ten-minute boogie that gives all the band members a chance to show off. Joe Dukie’s vocals are instantly recognisable to fans, the horn section get to blast out a juicy solo and the rhythm section never falters.
The new Fat Freddy’s Drop release is built upon the best features of their two previous studio albums. With their last release, ‘Dr. Boondigga and the Big BW,’ the band worked with more synthesized grooves and programmed drums. The album had a distinctly electronic feel that is replicated in the second half of ‘Blackbird.’ The track ‘Never Moving’ has almost no live instrumentation but sees one head-nodding synth line effortlessly melt into the next. In contrast tunes like ‘Bones,’ in the first half of the new album, have a more acoustic sound reminiscent of early Fat Freddy’s Drop.
These two halves of the album are neatly woven together and every song is built upon the bands distinctive, head-nodding groove. An exciting new release for one of New Zealand’s finest bands.
Campbell McNolty – Bop Gun (Mondays 9–11am)
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