Building on the electro-jam vibe of 2013's Blackbird, Bays opens with a steadily expanding funk groove on Wairunga Blues, plays around with party horns and expands into an intriguing mix of reggae/dub, focused soul and jazz as things get looser further into the album, Razor, Fish In The Sea and Cortina Motors all topping eight minutes.
Named for the band's Wellington studio, Bays is both taut and relaxed, suggesting they take their beats seriously, themselves less so.
• Fat Freddy's Drop. Bays. The Drop.
• Four stars (out of five)
Single download: Makkan
For those who like: Nathan Haines meets Sly and Robbie
- Shane Gilchrist
