Cymande
Renascence
★★★★
BMG
Following Tim MacKenzie-Smith’s acclaimed documentary Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymande, the oft-sampled Afro-Caribbean-British group return for a well-deserved victory lap. And, aside from the occasional rote workout (Sweeden, enlivened only by Denys Baptiste’s squalling sax), Renascence finds Cymande firmly in the pocket. The widescreen funk and rumble of hand-drums make slow-burn opener Chasing An Empty Dream of a piece with their original trilogy of albums. Elsewhere, they tailor the groove to who they are now: older men making peace with the darkness they can’t overcome or negotiate away. Road To Zion, a rumination on mortality and morality, conjures the eerie, moving vibe of Parliament’s The Silent Boatman, while the soulful, string-driven Only One Way, led by guest vocalist Celeste, is remarkable. The ambitious Coltrane, meanwhile, salutes the jazz divinity with a spiritual-funk masterpiece, declaring “music is the message creation sends”.
Renascence is out now on BMG
LISTEN/BUY: Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Rough Trade
TRACKLISING:
Chasing An Empty Dream
Road To Zion
Only One Way (Feat. Celeste)
Coltrane
Sweeden
How We Roll (Feat. Jazzie B)
Heart Of The Willing
I Wanna Know
Darkest Night
Carry The Word
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