Roebeck...some kind of aquatic folk singer no doubt...
It's summer, it's hot, it's sticky and I hate it. As a ginger tosser with skin as white as Janick Gers's trainers (I know I keep bashing him - but hey, I'm right and it's fun), I don't like the summer - it's a prison sentence. From June to September, I'm forced to stay indoors, open all the windows, use half the electricity supply of the city to power a fleet of electric fans and watch shit telly. On the rare occasions I do venture outside, my time is divided equally between crossing roads so I can walk in the shaded bit and attempting to persuade friends to sit inside the pub or at the very least find a table with a big umbrella.
Why all this talk of summer you may ask? Because this E.P. (or single - I'm not quite sure) from Roebeck is great summer music. Although their www.myspace.com biography cites influences as diverse as Frank Zappa, The Stone Roses, Frank Sinatra and "musique concrete" (best to check out Coldcut if you feel the need to pursue that one further), Roebeck's sound is closer to Massive Attack - with a splash of Morcheeba. It's smooth, subtle and sensationally seductive.
'Prelude' does exactly what it says on the tin. A soothing, melodic burst of electronic strings and deep-bass beats - dusted with a soulful female vocal - it swells from a scratchy needle-to-the-groove sample to a sumptuous and expansive entity.
The soulful, Latin-style acoustic guitar that opens '22 Seconds' sharpens the senses, before the synths, piano and bass all kick in while that smoky female vocal saturates the sonic landscape once more with its amorous tongue and lustful heart.
'A Short Piece Whilst Waiting For Storm Relief' closes out the record in a similar fashion, but leaves the listener strangely unsatisfied. Although the three tracks on this E.P. are marvellous to listen to, it takes a little time to get into the groove and, when you're finally drifting off, it's all over. Only when a full-length album of material is forthcoming will it be possible to judge just how good Roebeck really are - and if they're capable of sustaining the groove.
Here's hoping that if/when the album is released, it'll be as good as this E.P. If it is, it's sure to be a wonderful summer record and perfect to chill-out to in the park with a decent paperback, an ice-cold six-pack and a pack of tough sticks.
N.B. This E.P. is also perfect for those who have to lie on the sofa with a wet flannel on their head - a double Black Russian in their sticky claw and are in dire need of calming down because 'Zulu' is on the telly...AGAIN.