Credit where it’s due, the press sheet that accompanies the first release in six years from drum and bass pioneers, 4Hero does its level best to persuade me that the band’s long established critical acclaim, their 1998 Mercury nomination, their MOBO award and indeed, the band’s widespread respect within the chin-stroking enclave of a ‘real music’ fraternity paves the way for a multi-dimensional, densely layered and lush foray into futuristic soul. And whilst I’m not sure it fits this handsome mugshot in its entirety, ‘Play With The Changes’ does offer no shortage of smaltzy and affectionate carpet-shufflers, perfectly poised to take over your living room as sure as the Twister board game later this month. And not unlike this popular ice-breaker, it too has its fair share of unintended slip-ups, imbalances and gently hilarious consequences.
Hard as it is to imagine this North London band that changed the face of 90s music with their genre-hopping studio techniques and pitchshifting devices, that is precisely what they did. Augmenting the bleep ‘n’ bass methods associated with Sheffield’s Warp Records, and artists like LFO and Nightmares On Wax, with mid-tempo hip-hop-style breaks, the band made a significant contribution to club culture. But whether or not they can do for soul for they did for dance remains uncertain.
The Philadelphia strings that kick-off ‘Morning Child’ are delightful enough, but I can’t help but feel the crooning velvet vocal supplied by guest vocalist Carina Anderson would have been better employed supporting the cast of a 1969 production of ‘Hair’. It’s just too sweet, perhaps, too soft-focus, failing to build on the joyous, chiming announcement of the record’s classic, groove cooking intro. And the very same criticisms could be levelled elsewhere. Replacing the prickly highs and lows of imaginative production and studio trickery is a smoother, more organic approach to the recording process. There are just too many real musicians, too many guest vocalists and too many lightweight indulgences to make for a more broadly consistent album. It’s the kind of thing Tony Bennett does very well. There’s some great cameos, some great set pieces, but the beast in its entirety fails to dazzle.
Download a copy of ‘Awakening’ featuring Ursula Rucker, a copy of ‘Superwoman’ featuring Terry Devos and at a push, ‘Something In The Way’ and confine the rest to your games cupboard.