Musically competent and literally oozing with a generous helping of smooth, delicious soul jam, the West London-based musician/producer Mark de Clive-Lowe returns with his latest full length release, ‘Tide’s Rising’ which continues his exploration of jazz-infused modern soul with a dozen or so tracks that should grease up your mojo as much as your media-player in time for the those similarly spicy rays of ultra-violet this summer.
On top of the propulsive syncopation of the bass there’s percussion aplenty – sweeping away in an instant any suggestion that Clive-Lowe is trading on traditional 70s soul whack. Yes, there’s nods in that direction (‘Sila’s Theme’ peddles a crazily successful Weather Report vibe) but as tracks like ‘State Of The Mental’ suggest, there’s plentiful dishings of bossa, techno and hip-hop – a direction taken no less squarely than by the André Benjamin-a-like ‘Quintessential’ – releasing those funky little endorphins of modern spirituality like some cosmic irrigation treatment.
Best of the bunch has to be ‘Syndrome’ – bristling with hi-hats and chops, rumbling of bass and languishing in a pool of spicy vocal broth courtesy of mouthpiece, Bembé Segué.
Get it on before it gets too hot.
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