‘Call it nu soul, or call it what you will…’ reads the press release. So I will, thank you very much. I’ll call it lounge music, because that is what it is quite frankly. Okay, tracks like ‘In The Black Of Night’ and ‘Naturally’ might have some tricky, shuffling break things going on and some frisky, frivolous scatting courtesy of easy-listening sweetheart Lady Z, but the core of the material is pretty much based in the soft leathery chairs of the chill-out room with a little subdued lighting and a little clink of cocktail glasses ring checked for your comfort and enjoyment.
Put together by Danish Grammy Winning producer and musician, Martin Varano and London based jazz vocalist cum scat-poet Lady Z, Slow Train Soul are not short of a tribute or two. Varano has worked previously with beautiful Brazilian chanteuse, Carla Alexander and scored a number of hits with Italo/Danish duo Puddu Varano whilst Lady Z has performed with that renowned classical idiot, Nigel Kennedy and his hootenanny jazz band as well as collaborating with Natacha Atlas and Terry Callier.
Swathes of nocturnal atmospherics and gently tinkling piano, slinky guitar, sub-bass and chattering percussion saturate an album already saturated in part by the sheer melting loveliness of one dark Lady Z. So if you fancy drowning in a sea of moody, rippling sultriness then listen up to stand-out signature track ‘Slow Train’ and the loose and unwinding Ibiza twilight of ‘Stoned Rays’. And when you’ve finished drowning, spare a final dying gasp for the acoustic near-consciousness of the lisping ‘Twisted Cupid’.
Distributed by the ridiculously cool and hip Tommy Boy label in the States, ‘Illegal Cargo’ may have more than a few tell tale signs of the term ‘project band’ and too virulent a dose of stylishness – but it’s not without it’s merits.